Challenging Alexis
by Luce17
Summary: Soulfinder conventions are the latest idea of the Savant Net, where savants from across the globe meet once a year to see if they can find their soulfinder. Sounds great, right? Who wouldn't want to meet their perfect partner? Alexis Anderson despises the very idea of soulfinders. How will she cope when she meets her soulfinder, Will Benedict?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, this is my new FS fanfiction. It's going to be a Will/ Alexis story, and is set after Seeking Crystal (although she's not going to be from Amsterdam- sorry!). I'm not sure if their ages will quite fit with the Benedict timeline, but I've made Alexis and Will 24, so, hopefully, it shouldn't be too out of sync with the books. I hope you like it! Please leave a review- any feedback is welcomed! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: This all belongs to Joss Stirling.**

Savant soulfinder conventions. Eurgh. I hated them. The manila envelope came through the door about a week ago, containing, amongst other things, a brightly coloured leaflet with the cheerful slogan 'your best chance at finding love!'. The slogan was further illustrated by the accompanying photograph of a nauseatingly cute couple fawning over each other. I wanted to barf. Literally.

The new convention culture came as a result of the rise of the Savant Net over the past few years. They were brought in to help soulfinders meet each other, and, after a few years of attendance being optional, attendance was now made mandatory for all savants that the Net knew about. So it became that, annually, there was a global convention whereby all savants aged 18 or over (minus those who had already found their soulfinders, or those who were married or in a serious relationship) were required to attend. I was 24, a savant, and single- so my attendance was non-negotiable. Great. I'd been lucky last year- coming down with a bad case of the flu, so I got to miss out. This year, I wasn't so lucky.

Okay, yeah, so I'm really not into the whole 'soulfinder' and 'love at first sight (or thought!)' business- the idea didn't really appeal to me. I mean, who wants to be shackled to a brainless baboon? I don't want to be forced to love someone for the rest of my life, just because of some mystical connection that we don't really know that much about. I mean, who wants to be uprooted from their home, and forced to move half way across the globe all because some higher power deemed us to be fated to be together? Besides, we're living in the 21st century, and I am an independent woman- not reliant on some man. In case it isn't glaring obvious I, Alexis Anderson, thoroughly rejected the very idea of soulfinders.

I'd already tried my best to get out of this year's convention, which was to be held in Paris- writing to the Savant Net (the event's organisers), saying that I was incredibly sorry, but I couldn't possibly make the convention- for the train fare from my home in Derby to Dover, to catching the Eurostar train from Dover to Paris (and back!) was just way too expensive for a newly qualified teacher to afford. I was certain I'd gotten out of it. I was wrong. They sent plane tickets, a taxi service to collect me from my home and the airport in Paris, and a night in a four star Paris hotel before the conference, all expenses paid. And, as if to make matters worse, was the accompanying sincere letter offering to pay for all of my future convention trips. Drat.

Aside from the leaflet, the envelope held a great amount of paperwork. Information forms, where I was required to fill out my date of birth, my estimated day of conception (now that made for a _very_ awkward conversation with my parents), if I was a premature or late baby, my nationality, a current photograph of myself, and numerous other questions designed to aid the organisers in finding potential matches. Rumour in the savant community had it that the organisers had a soulseeker on their team, which meant that match making this year was almost guaranteed. Fabulous. Aside from the forms it also held a code of conduct for the event. 'No use of obvious savant powers within the conference' seemed to be the major rule to abide by (for it was highlighted, put in bold and was encased in a garish shape to draw attention). Understandable, really, I mean floating chairs and tables would certainly freak out most of the non-savant population! The pamphlet also emphasised the fact that the convention was for the general good of the savant population, and that all savants were welcome- even if they weren't part of the net. No violence was to be tolerated. Blady, blady blah. Needless to say, I skimmed the rest.

Finally, there was an itinerary for the day. The convention began at 9 prompt, and everyone was to watch a video on the savant net before the, and I quote, 'real fun' began. Nauseated I continued to read. From what I could gather from the instructions, and accompanying photographs, the actual 'matching' process was rather like a massive speed dating event, whereby tables were laid out in a circle with chairs on either side. The women were to stay put on the outside chairs of the circle, whilst the men moved around the inside chairs on the circle to allow them to speak to all available savants. The circle design seemed to work for both heterosexual and homosexual savants- for the homosexuals would simply move to the side of the circle that best suited them. Organisers wrote that, due to sheer numbers, they tried to place those of similar ages near to each other so that they had the best chance of finding a match. Apparently, although the circle started off with a vast number of savants, the numbers tended to drop quite drastically as more couples were paired off (the mandatory nature of the event drew savants from far and wide, so large amounts of matches were guaranteed.) Once the process began couples were given 1 minute to make a mind link with the person opposite, before a bell was rung to signal that the males who hadn't found a match were to move on to the next person, whilst those who had found a match were to leave the circle. In bold on the pamphlet was the instruction that 'Both of the pair are to make a connection with the other, in order to ensure that a match hasn't been missed'. Once the matching was over, there was to be a party to celebrate the matches that had been made, before we all headed off back home.

Unfortunately, there was no chance of getting out of this one. Damn. I grabbed a pen, and began to fill out my details.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hope you like it- I think this is the longest chapter I've ever written! :O **

**Disclaimer: This all (apart from Alexis et al) belongs to Joss Stirling.**

After filling in most of my details I had to do the inevitable, and ring Mum to get the answer to my final question. Sighing, I grabbed the handset and dialled the familiar number.

"Hello" a chirpy voice answered.

"Hi Mum, it's me."

"Hello,me"

"Mum!" I groaned. "You know exactly who it is!" She laughed.

"Yes, Alexis. What's the matter?"

"I'm just filling in my details for the convention." She hummed appropriately. "And…" I sighed, here goes. "I need my estimated conception date for the forms. I was just wondering if you knew?"

She laughed gaily. "Oh, Alexis, I don't know if I could quite pin it down. Your father and I were just insatiable back then!" She sighed happily. "Mind you, what's changed?" She laughed again.

"Mum!" I cried out, aghast. "_Major_ overshare!" I was quite happy pretending that my sickeningly in love soulfinder parents never had sex. In fact, I'd rather presume that my siblings and I all arrived by stork, like in that Disney film, 'Dumbo'.

I could hear her cackle in reply at the other end of the line "Oh, Alexis, you have so much to learn! Let me get your father- he might remember." I sighed, as I heard a muffled shout of "Brian!"

"Mum, honestly, you don't need to get Dad, just give me a rough estimation- it really doesn't matter if it's that accurate-"

"Nonsense, dear" she cut in "we want to give the most accurate information, so you get the best chance of meeting him!" There was movement on the other end of the line. "Honey, I'm putting you on speaker, so your father and I can both hear you."

"Okay", I sigh "But, Mum, this really isn't necessary- a rough estimation would be just fine. I was born on September the twentieth, so I'll put down Christmas Eve" I held my pen poised, and moved to fill in the date.

"Oh no, Alexis, don't put that! It definitely wasn't then!" My Dad replies. "We were staying at your Grandma's for Christmas in '88, and your brother, Jack, had to stay in our room overnight. Definitely not then!"

"Okay", I reply, "when then?"

"Maybe Christmas day?" My Mum questions "I pretended to have a headache, so that I missed the Christmas walk, and your father stayed to nurse me back to health, whilst everyone else went out…" The statement hung in the air for a moment, before it clicked…

"Mum! I did not need to know that!"

"I was an excellent doctor, wasn't I, darling?" My father murmured, and my mother giggled.

"Mmmmm" she sighed, "I felt _so_ much better afterwards!"

"Mum, Dad, please!" I begged- I _really_ didn't want to hear of their sexual escapades! "Was it definitely Christmas day, then?"

"Maybe it was boxing day, actually" My Dad answers "Do you remember, Liz, we sent Jack out to build a snowman, and told him to surprise us and build the biggest one he could? He was occupied for hours, which meant we had the house to ourselves…"

"Oh, yes!" My mother answered, "Now, that was an excellent idea of yours!" I felt sick. No wonder my Mum and Dad always encouraged me and my siblings to each build snowmen in the garden, whilst they, each year, conveniently found some excuse to stay inside. Well, they'd successfully ruined that family tradition!

"Guys, I'm just going to write down 'The Christmas period of '88'" I sigh, mentally scarred from this horrendous encounter.

"Mmm, that would probably be best, honey, we couldn't possibly pin it down, and it's best to cover all bases."

"Okay, fab." I sigh, relieved to leave this topic of conversation.

"Oh, love, could you come over later?" My Mum asks. Well, actually, my Mum never really asks- it's more of a demand. "Jack and Savannah have some news they want to share with us." Jack was my eldest brother, who, at 26, was the first of us three to find his soulfinder. He met her at a convention a couple of years ago, and they were hopelessly in love- so much so, that Savannah had moved all the way from Australia to rural Derbyshire, just so that they could be together.

"They're pregnant, aren't they?" I deadpan. The newlyweds had made no secret of their desire for a large family.

"I don't know" my Mother replies. "We'll find out later. They're coming at 2 this afternoon, so pop round for then won't you love?"

"Yeah, sure Mum" I acquiesce, despite the fact that I've got stacks of marking that I should be getting on with.

"Great!" She responds "I'll see you then, then. Now, I've got an appointment with my very own Dr Anderson" she purrs.

"Mmm, yes you have, darling" I hear my father reply.

"Okay, bye guys!" I blurt out quickly, hanging up the phone before they reply- not that I'd have gotten one anyway. I glance at the clock- it's just past one. Perhaps I'd get there for half two, just to be on the safe side. I really didn't want to walk in on something I shouldn't…

XXX

An hour and half later, and I'm stood outside my parents' front door. I've rang the doorbell multiple times, but there's still no answer. Frustrated, I tap my foot- thankful that at least I'm not stuck in a heavy April shower.

"Come on! Open the door" I mutter angrily to myself.

Just then, I hear a car pull onto the gravelled drive. I turn, and look to see Jack and Savannah. I smile and wave happily at them as Jack brings the car to a standstill, turns off the ignition, and races to the passenger side of the car to open Savannah's door for her, extending his hand to help her out of her seat. So, chivalry isn't dead! They stroll towards me, both grinning broadly.

Savannah throws her arms around my neck in greeting, whilst Jack gives me a welcoming smile. Gently extricating myself from her hug I ask "So, what's the big news, then?"

Savannah, now nestled back in Jack's arms grins broadly, and looks up at him. "Well" she begins, in her distinctive Aussie twang, looking back at me "We're" she's practically vibrating with excitement. They look up at each other and nod at each other- a silent form of communication between them, before they blurt out together "pregnant!" At the same time the door swings open, to reveal my mother, whose hair is dishevelled and glasses are askew. Before I have a chance to react, she squeals loudly, before launching herself at the pair, barrelling past me at such a rate that she knocks me off balance, and nearly causes me to fall off the porch. Wrapping her arms around her son and daughter-in-law, she squeezes them tightly.

"Careful, Mum! You're going to hurt the baby hugging her that hard!"

"Jack, I knew you were going to be one of those parents" I laugh.

He grins at me, unabashed, looping his arms gently around his petite wife, who looks adoringly up at him- pressing a gentle kiss to his jaw. He begins gently nudging her inside. I look at him questioningly. "I don't want her to catch a chill." He defends himself.

"Jack, it's the hottest day of the year so far" I deadpan. He follows Mum through the door, keeping Savannah tethered to him.

"Better safe, than sorry!" He replies, "besides, it's only April- that's practically winter!"

Shaking my head at his ridiculously overprotective nature I follow them into the house, and see Dad walking down the stairs, fumbling to fasten the top buttons of his shirt.

"Hey, Dad" I grin, as he envelops me in a hug. "Lexi" he greets, squeezing me comfortingly, before letting me go. Although his once black hair is now peppered with grey, he still acts as if he were thirty.

"Did you hear their news?" I ask, as we follow them through to the kitchen- the place where we all sit and talk as a family.

"Yeah. Looks like I'm going to be a Grandfather! When are you going to find your soulfinder Lex?"

I roll my eyes at his badgering, as we round the corner into the kitchen. He and my mother were both constantly pestering me about finding my soulfinder.

"Well, the convention's next weekend, so next week if I'm lucky" I smile, feigning excitement at the prospect. I take my seat at the table, as my mother claps her hands together gleefully, before busying herself- insisting that we all had a cup of tea.

It wasn't that I'd always hated the idea of soulfinders. In fact, it was quite the opposite. When we were growing up Mum and Dad had always told us about soulfinders, the connection they shared, and how magical the whole experience was. Every night, they'd tuck us each into our beds, telling us of soulfinder stories, whilst whispering how much they loved us. Growing up, I couldn't wait to finally meet my soulfinder. The man who would love and cherish me forever- made perfectly just for me.

But that all changed a couple of years ago. After what happened to my sister, I finally realised that the very notion of soulfinders was a fairy-tale concept- outdated and ridiculous. Although, it was great while it lasted, the repercussions of losing a soulfinder were just too much of a risk to take. The world was cruel, and the people in it even worse. I was broken out of my reverie by my mother.

"Are you meeting Alice in Paris, Alexis?" Mum asked. Alice was my younger sister, the sweetheart, and my best friend as well as my sister. We told each other everything. That's how I knew all about her soulfinder- where they met, what he was like, and when she lost him. My family didn't. Devastated from the loss, the cheerful, happy, and always upbeat Alice that we all knew and loved spiralled into a depression, of which only I knew the true cause. A talented artist- she moved to Paris to pursue her dreams, and to move on- trying to deal with the harsh reality of life without a soulfinder.

"Yeah" I reply "I'm meeting her at the airport, when I land. I'll get in at around 2 French time, so we're going to have lunch together"

My Mum clucked happily- glad to see that the Alice we knew was emerging once more. "It's so exciting that both of my girls are old enough to go to the convention!" My Mum squealed delightedly, wrapping her arms around me from behind, and squeezing me tightly. "Maybe both of you will meet your soulfinders, and we'll have two weddings this year! How would you feel about a double wedding, Alexis? You're both so close- it would be fabulous! A summer wedding would just be divine, wouldn't it? I think purple would be good as a colour scheme. Actually, maybe sky blue would be better. Your father could walk you both down the aisle together! I'd have to buy a spectacular outfit- I'd be a double mother of the bride! I know-"

"Hang on, Mum!" I laugh, cutting off her tirade. "No one is getting married." Her face dropped comically. She didn't realise that Alice was only going to the convention to take her name off the list. If your soulfinder died, you didn't get another one. So, for her, the convention would be pointless.

"If, Mum, if, I meet my soulfinder I'm definitely not getting married straight away. Anyway, I might not even like the guy!"

"Not like him?" She asked, incredulous. "Of course you'll like him- you're fated to be together!" And, she was off again- twittering on about star signs, and some higher power- flailing her arms dramatically as if to exaggerate her point. I zoned out, and, looking across the table at the rest of my family, so had they. It seemed cruel to let Mum entertain the idea that both Alice and I would be getting married to our soulfinders- for Alice no longer could, and I was totally against the idea, no matter what she said.

"Anyway, Mum" I said, cutting her off again. "I'd best be getting off- I've got tons of marking to do before Monday morning, lessons to plan, and I've got to pack for the convention." I got up, giving her a big hug, before turning to Dad to do the same. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head.

"Call us to let us know you've landed safely, won't you? And be careful. Paris is a dangerous city, there are pickpockets and-"I laughed- you could see exactly where Jack got his overprotective tendencies from!

"Dad, I'm 24, a grown woman, and am totally capable of looking after myself! I'll be totally fine, and if anything does happen, then you'll be the first to know. I promise."

His moustache twitched in grudging acceptance. "Just promise me you'll be careful- and look after your sister." I smiled- she'd managed nearly a year in Paris without my protection, but I wasn't about to mention that to him.

"I promise, Dad." Giving me a last quick hug he let me go, and I moved over to Savannah and Jack.

"Congratulations, you two! You'll be fabulous parents! Savannah, just let me know if his protectiveness gets too much, and I'll happily knock him into shape for you" I winked at her, whilst pointedly ignoring Jack, who was glowering at me as a result of my comment. Giving them both a quick hug, I made my way out of the kitchen, and towards the door.

"See you later" I yelled, slamming the door behind me, before heading off home to pack.

**Please, please leave a review! Constructive criticism is welcomed- I really want to know what you think! Also, would people like the whole story in Alexis' POV, or would you like some chapters written in Will's POV? Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter is dedicated to 'nononononononono' and 'Bookworm', and my anonymous reviewer, for being my first reviewers- thank you so much for your feedback guys! (Bookworm- I totally get what you mean about description- I completely forgot to describe her! Ooops! In the next couple of chapters you should get a good idea of what she looks like!) **

**Anywhoo, I hope you enjoy chapter 3- it's a bit of a filler, but I don't want to rush the story, and this should help to explain some more about Alexis and her family. Please leave a review if you have time- all feedback is welcomed!**

My night was filled with seemingly never-ending amounts of marking from my year five class. Stories, maths tests- the pile seemed to never go down. My task was made easier by the glass of red wine by my side, coaxing me through the mountains of paper. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. Most of the kids are wonderful. In fact, all of the kids are wonderful, apart from Luke Hall. He was disruptive, rude, and downright irritating! I can't even express how much I wanted to unleash my savant power on him! I was known, in my family, as the persuader, for my power was ultimately persuasion. I could tamper with people's thoughts- planting images in their minds, forcing them to do things against their will. Not that I'd ever use it to my advantage. Okay, okay, when I was younger I quite often telepathically forced Jack and Alice to do my chores for me, but Mum and Dad usually caught me, and made me do their chores instead- so I had triple the workload. Needless to say, I soon kicked the habit.

It was the week before Easter at school, and all the kids were getting restless- more concerned with the copious amounts of chocolate Easter eggs that they would be soon consuming, rather than their education. Well, I can't blame them- I was the same when I was a child (and probably still am!). The convention was to be held on Saturday, and as the organisers had booked my plane ticket for early Friday morning, I had to have the Friday off of school. This meant I had to face Mrs Lee- the elderly, rotund headmistress with the personality of a Rottweiler and bite to match. I'd had to lie about the convention- for she wasn't a savant, so I ended up telling her that I was attending the funeral of my great Uncle Bob, who lived in Paris. I don't think she quite believed me, but considering I hadn't had a day off all year, and the last day was 'toy day', she didn't really have a choice. I'd have to be more creative when coming up with my lie for next year. Or, alternatively, I could tell the Net that I couldn't possibly get time off work during term time, so would be unable to attend. Score!

Pushing aside the now marked spelling test, I reached for a maths homework book which I'd yet to loot at. A quiet howl from the kitchen broke my marking daze. "Monty?" I called, wondering where my adorable, trouble-making, little golden Labrador puppy had gotten to. Wandering through to the kitchen I saw him sat on the tiles, looking extremely sorry for himself.

"What's up boy?" I asked him, clapping my hands together in an attempt to make him come to the doorjamb to meet me. He limped forward- his front paw seemed to be hurting him. Concerned, I scooped him up into my arms- careful not to put more pressure on his leg.

"Don't worry, baby" I cooed to him. "We'll ring Jack and 'Vannah- they'll sort you out no problem." Jack and Savannah were both vets, and very good ones too. Of course, their gifts helped them. Jack's savant power was that he had the ability to talk to animals. Odd, I know, but actually really useful- especially when there was a pesky spider in my room that needed moving! Savannah was a type of healer. Although not able to heal someone from pain, she was able to, instead, detect the location of the pain and what exactly caused the pain, allowing them to prescribe the best treatment for the animals I question. Together, they made an excellent team, and their business was thriving, with people flocking from miles around for their services. Their waiting list was nearly a month long, but thankfully, as I was family, I got to skip the waiting list.

Grabbing the phone from its cradle, whilst being careful not to jostle Monty, I dialled the vets.

"Hello, Anderson's veterinary practice. How may I help you?" The voice answered in the distinctive Aussie accent that I'd come to recognise so easily.

"'Van, is that you? Why are you working in reception?" I asked. There was a large huff on the other end of the phone, and I knew my hunch was right.

"Jack is being ridiculous, Lex, as usual. Now I'm pregnant he wants me to start working part-time in case the stress of the job becomes too much! And, to make matters worse, he's refusing to allow me to stand all day on my feet, and so has banished me to the reception desk to 'rest' for a while. I am 2 months pregnant, and barely showing! I'm not an invalid!" I desperately try to conceal a snicker at her annoyance.

"I'll have a word when I next see him 'Van. I'll sort him out, don't you worry."

"Thanks Lex, you're the best sister-in-law around! Anyway, I'm guessing there's something else you were ringing about. Is Monty okay?"

"I know, I know" I laughed "Yeah, I was ringing about Mont. He seems to have hurt his paw, and I was wondering if-"

She cut me off, concerned "Bring him in. We'll see to him right away."

"Thanks 'Van, I'll come now." We say our goodbyes, and I pop Monty in his carrier- despite the doleful brown eyes he's shooting at me.

"It's for the best Mont." I promise, "'Van and Jack will have you feeling better in no time."

XXX

A short while later we arrive at the vets. Monty starts to howl as soon as we get out of the car- it's as though he knows what's coming. Sighing, I walk towards the practice, carrier in hand. Approaching the reception desk I'm put straight through to 'Van and Jack's operating room, bypassing the waiting room, and pointedly ignoring all of the glares I'm receiving from those who are waiting with their pets for jumping the queue.

Walking into the operating room I see Jack enveloping 'Van in a tight hug.

"All resolved then?" I ask, popping Monty's carrier on the table, and unlatching the door. They break apart, smiling.

"Yeah" Van replies "We'll compromise on me working during the pregnancy, and, although his protective tendencies can be annoying, I'll learn to deal with them." Jack presses a kiss to the top of her head, before moving towards the table to take a look at Mont.

"What's up with the little guy then?" he asks, coaxing Monty out of his cage and onto the table. 'Van moves forward to get a closer look.

"His front paw seems to be bothering him" I say, as they begin their inspection.

Jack nods, "He does seem to have difficulty putting weight on it" watching as Monty hobbles along "I'll ask him what's wrong, and when it started hurting."

Now, I must admit, it's really rather bizarre watching my brother having a telepathic conversation with my pet. I still haven't quite gotten used to it. A few moments later he looks up, breaking the connection.

"Yeah, he says that his paw's really hurting him after he went on a walk earlier today. Maybe he stood on something? It seems most likely if it's only started hurting him today, and he's had no other problems. What do you think, 'Van?"

Savannah gently places her hand on his paw, and shuts her eyes. "From what I can sense, he seems to have something lodged in the paw, which is what's causing the pain. From what I can tell, it doesn't seem to be very big, and it hasn't punctured anything, or caused an infection, but we'll give him some antibiotics just in case, once we've removed it." I smile, relieved that the issue's so easy to fix.

Jack moves to grab a pair of tweezers from his equipment tray, whilst Savannah upturns Monty's paw so that he can remove the object. I stroke his fur comfortingly.

"It'll only hurt for a minute, Mont" I say, patting his flank. A couple of minutes later, and it's all over. Jack bandages his paw, whilst Savannah writes out his prescription.

"Oh Jack, whilst I'm here, can you ask Mont if he likes the new food I bought him? It's just he doesn't seem to be eating it." Jack nods, closing his eyes after he's finished bandaging his paw.

"He says it's edible, but he prefers the other sort." I nod, making a mental note of his preferences. Jack then scratches his neck awkwardly.

"What's wrong?" I ask him.

"Oh, it's just that he told me to ask you if you can try and find the owner of the female dog he met last week at the park. He err, really wants you to arrange with her to meet her dog again, as he seems to have, how should I say, err, taken a real shine to her?" I knew exactly what Jack was trying to politely convey. My dog had the hots for the cute black Labrador named Betty that we met at the park last week. I thought he spent an awfully long time sniffing her bottom, in the way that dogs do.

"Monty!" I admonish him. The guy was barely a year old, and was already looking for female companionship. He quirked his head to the side, and his tongue lolled out- the doggy equivalent of an unapologetic, cheeky grin. I groaned, playfully dropping my head in my hands.

"What is it with this family? Oh, and, I know it's late notice, but I meant to ask you earlier- would you guys be able to look after the little Casanova while I'm away?"

"Yeah, sure" Jack replied, ruffling Mont's neck, resulting in a happy yip from the pup. "Drop him and his stuff round on Thursday evening, and we'll look after him until you get back. Just make sure he doesn't do too much running around- I don't want him making that paw any worse."

"I will do. And, thanks Jack- I didn't want to have to put him in the kennels for the weekend." Popping Mont with his newly bandaged paw back into his travel box, I pick it up and move towards the door.

"See you guys on Thursday" I call, and hear a chorus of goodbyes in response, before making my way out of the room, and to reception to pay.

XXX

The rest of the week flew by. It was a flurry of marking, sorting, and trying to hide Monty's antibiotics in his dinner without him realising. Thursday came in no time, and before I knew it I was dropping Monty at Jack and Savannah's for the weekend, before heading back home to pack.

Packing. Eurgh. I hated it- I never knew what to take. Deciding which clothes to take to a convention where you could be possibly meeting your soulfinder was even worse. I mean, how do you find an outfit to meet, and then reject your soulfinder in? I didn't want to look to flashy, but then jeans seemed a bit too casual for the whole affair. I groaned, running a hand through my waist length, curly brown locks. This was a nightmare. So far I'd only managed to pack the basics- toothbrush, pants, bras, socks, and a hairbrush. I'd even forgotten to get some euros- so I was relying on my credit card for any purchases I made whilst I was there.

Rummaging on my wardrobe once more, I settled on my convention outfit. It was a dress I'd gotten in the sale a couple of weeks ago. It was a powdery blue, knee length, and was a sort of smart casual, which is what seemed appropriate for such an event. Paired with a denim jacket, and my favourite pair of battered white converse it was practical as well as pretty, and totally suitable for a warm, Spring Paris day. Chucking in a comfy top to travel home in, and some shorts and tops to wander round in once I was there, I declared myself done. Now I just had to wait until the morning. Who knew what Saturday would bring?


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you to an anonymous reviewer, ' .Fugii', 'dancer99', 'xxx-benedictbrothersfan-xxx', and 'nononononononono' for reviewing! I hope you all enjoy chapter four! :D**

Friday morning arrived much sooner than I wanted it to. I'd spent the night tossing, and turning- totally sick at the prospect of the convention. My alarm rang at 7, and I was forced to accept the inevitable- I was actually going to Paris, and actually going to the convention. Dragging myself from my bed, I moved sluggishly towards the shower, washing my hair and shaving my legs. Rejuvenated, I brushed my teeth, wrapped my towel around me, and moved back to my room to select an outfit for the day. After much deliberation, exasperation, and utter frustration, I finally settled on a pair of light blue skinny jeans, and a thin navy and white striped top- they were comfortable for a plane journey, and very Parisian! Looking at myself in the mirror, I silently appraised myself. At 5'7 I was of average height, with an average build, and average brown eyes. Average, as you can probably tell, was the best way of describing me. Although I envied my twig- like friends, who had super-sonic metabolisms I kind of liked my body. I was toned from regular netball matches, and weekends spent hiking in the Peak District, which was right on my door step. Grabbing my comb I wrestled with my hair, attempting to de-tangle the mass of curls, before blow-drying it, and adding a layer of mascara to my eyelashes.

"There." I muttered to myself in the mirror, somewhat satisfied with my appearance. I was ready to go. The taxi was arriving at 9, and it was 8.45 now, so I decided to grab my suitcase and wait outside my flat for the taxi driver to arrive and take me to the airport.

Locking up, I headed down the stairs, dragging my suitcase behind me. It made a worrying thump every time I descended a step, as it whacked against the step below it. I probably should have risked the decrepit lift. Pushing open the double doors of the flat's lobby I dropped my suitcase to the floor, and sat on it. I probably looked like a homeless person, but, quite frankly, I didn't care. Grabbing my beach bag, which I was using for my hand luggage I checked I had everything. Passport- check, phone- check, purse with credit card in it- check, insurance form- check, plane tickets-check, taxi form-check… The amount of things you had to remember was ridiculous- I didn't know if, even at 24, that I was quite prepared for the responsibility. Lastly, I pulled out the leaflet about the convention- I'd packed it in my hand luggage so that I could have a quick glance through it before arriving in Paris. As I was looking, a car pulled up beside me, honking. I looked up.

"Taxi for East Midlands airport, love?" the cabbie asked. He leaned out of the window and leered at me. He was, at a guess, around thirty five, with a thin, greasy pony tail and yellowed teeth. Crossing my arms over my chest self-consciously, I replied with my best attempt at a smile.

"Yeah, that's me". I handed him the form that the Net had sent- the pre-paid receipt for my journey. He skimmed it quickly, before nodding to himself, and getting out of the car to the boot. The stench when he passed me was vile- worse than when I'd had to sit next to 'Stinky Sandra', for a whole year in chemistry at GCSE. I'm sure an hour with him in a confined space would be just wonderful. He picked up my suitcase and lobbed it in the boot.

"Do you want to sit up front with me, darlin'?" he asked, shooting me what I presumed what his attempt at a seductive smile, but all he proceeded in doing was showing me the cocoa pop remnants left in his teeth. I tried to hide my disgust at his lack of personal hygiene, not to mention his slimy personality.

"No thanks" I replied cheerily, before lying through my teeth. "I always sit in the back- I get travel sick if I sit in the front." I laughed. "It's quite bizarre really! I mean, most people get travel sick if they sit in the back, but not me, no! I always insist on sitting in the back." He looked at me quizzically- not believing this story at all, but, before he could argue I all but yanked open the door and flew into the left back seat- pulling the door shut quickly behind me, and placing my bag on my lap- a physical barrier between us.

"Alright, love, your loss." He grinned, pulling his door open, and starting the ignition. "Let's go." I smiled enthusiastically in response. 'Yes' I thought, in my head 'let's go as quickly as possible, so that I can get the hell out of this car!'

There was silence, for a few minutes as we drove out of town, before he tried to make conversation.

"So, love, what's your name?"

"Alexis." He seemed to be expecting me to ask him the same question, but I had no interest in continuing the conversation. He waited a few beats, finally realising that I wasn't going to ask back.

"My name's Terrence, but you can call me Terry." He glanced at me in his rear-view mirror, and I nodded in response- turning my head to look out of the window, so that I avoided making eye contact with him.

"So…" he valiantly continued- attempting to break the awkward silence. "You got a boyfriend then? Pretty thing like you must have all the men gagging for it!" My lips curled in revulsion- he was so crude.

"Yep" I lied. "He's a black belt in karate- trained by Jackie Chan himself. He was supposed to compete in the London Olympics, but he got banned for beating up a man who tried to hit on me. Pity, he would have won gold- he's lethal." I sighed dramatically "He's actually meeting me at the airport- I can get him to give you an autograph if you'd like?" Terry had paled considerably after hearing this.

"No, don't worry" he squeaked, pushing his foot down on the gas pedal, so that the car shot forward. "I wouldn't want to trouble him, I'm sure he's very busy." He didn't let his eyes stray from the road after that, navigating the winding country lanes with all the skill of a formula one racer. I snickered behind my hand- it served him right.

We arrived at the airport in no time, with Terrence chucking my bag onto the pavement, and racing off as if the hounds of hell were at his heels. I couldn't stop myself- I keeled over laughing, wiping the tears from my eyes. Hopefully that encounter would prevent him from pulling any moves on any future female passengers! Turning to grab my suitcase I bumped into something, or someone, sending my beach bag flying and all causing all of my documents to fall out.

"Crap" I muttered, dropping to the floor to pick up anything I could find. Shoving the stuff back in my bag, I stood up to see a man holding my convention leaflet. Double crap. Non- savants weren't allowed to see that!

"Thanks" I said, smiling brightly as I plucked it from his hands. 'Please let him not have read it!' I prayed silently. He was a fairly tall man, with cropped blonde hair, blue eyes and a friendly smile.

"No" he whispered, grabbing my arm lightly. "It's okay, I'm a savant too!" He pulled out a matching leaflet from his backpack, showing it to me with a grin to prove his point. I let out a giant breath of pure relief.

"Oh, thank God" I replied, putting my palm to my chest, as if to slow my racing heart. "I thought I'd really messed up."

He laughed, "No, thankfully it's just me. You heading to the convention too, then?"

I picked up my suitcase from the floor, wheeling it next to me as we proceeded to the airport's entrance. "Yeah, I wouldn't be if they hadn't made it mandatory, but it can't be helped. Who are you flying with?"

"EasyJet. You? Oh, and I know exactly how you feel." He sighed. Confused, I turned to look at him- it was extremely odd to find another savant that positively detested the idea of finding their perfect other half.

"Same. We might be in seats near to each other! You don't want to find yours either?" It was so refreshing to hear from someone who held the same views as me!

He scratched his neck awkwardly- a way of hiding his discomfort at the idea of the convention, I guessed. "No, I've been with my girlfriend for nearly six years, and I'm totally happy. I want to get married, and forget about this whole, stupid soulfinder business." He sighed, frustrated. "My parents keep on insisting that we'll break up though, that I won't be happy with her, and that I'm meant to be with my soulfinder. I've been to four conventions over the past couple of years- the local ones, you know? Not just the global ones. I made a deal with my parents that I'd go to five, and that if I didn't find her, then I wouldn't go to any more, they'd stop badgering me, and they wouldn't disapprove of an engagement to Catherine. This is the last one, the last part of the deal. So, fingers crossed I won't find her, and I can propose when I get home, and be taken off the Net's list forever!" He crossed all of the fingers on his left hand to prove his statement. We began to wander towards the EasyJet check in desk, as we talked.

"I told Cath that I was off on a business trip for the weekend- I felt awful lying to her, but I think it's better than telling her that this weekend could be when I meet soul mate, and that there's a high chance I'm going to have a paranormal connection with another female, which could possibly cause me to break up with her. Anyway-" He sighed, rubbing the stubble on his chin.

"What about you?" He asked. "Why are you so against it?" Reaching the back of the queue we dropped our cases at our feet, and turned to face one another.

"My sister met her soulfinder at 17, and then he died a year later in a fire. She was distraught, and still hasn't really recovered. I don't want that. I don't want that total reliance on one person. Besides, I'd rather find love myself- rather than being forced to love someone just because of an attraction I can't explain." He nodded in agreement, as we shuffled forward.

"That's awful" he exhaled as he said it, shaking his head at her misfortune. "I completely get where you're coming from with that, though- I feel the same way. How old are you, by the way." He asked.

"I know, she was devastated, and still is. I'm 24. You?"

"Ditto. Want to try?" I knew exactly what he meant.

"Okay" I murmured, looking into his eyes. Could he really be my soulfinder- I couldn't imagine us being anything more than friends. Mind you, it wouldn't be so bad- he'd be thrilled with my rejection, and we'd both be able to move on with our lives.

"I'll try you first." I felt his voice in his mind then. _'Hello?'_ he asked me. I laughed in pure relief.

"Nope! Nothing!" He beamed broadly. "I'll try too- just to be sure." _'Hello'_ I asked him. His grin grew even bigger.

"Nothing for me either! Looks like we'll just have to be soulfinder hating friends, right-" He paused awkwardly. "Hang on; I don't even know your name yet."

"It's Alexis" I reply, holding out my hand for him to shake.

"Sam" he grins, grasping my hand tightly in his, and giving it a firm shake. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise."

And that was how our friendship began. Conversation flowed easily between us, and, as the check-in lady gave us seats next to each other on the plane, we had plenty of time to talk. Sam, it turned out, lived just a couple of miles away from me, and yet we'd never met. Crazy, right? His savant power was invisibility, although, he could only use it for about five minutes at a time, as it sapped his energy at an alarmingly quick rate. Still, it was pretty damn cool!

We passed quickly through security, and onto the plane. It was due to set off at 11.20 English time, and took approximately an hour and a half. But, as France was an hour ahead of the UK, we lost an hour, and so were expected to land at around two French time- give or take a few minutes. Stowing our hand luggage in the overhead lockers Sam and I took our seats. The row was made up three chairs. An elderly lady was sat in the window seat. I sat next to her, whilst Sam sat in the aisle.

As the other passengers took their seats she tapped me on the arm. I turned to her and smiled.

"You're a wonderful couple" she said, motioning to me and Sam.

"Oh, we're not-"

She cut me of "How long have you been together? You'll make wonderful babies!" I could hear Sam snickering next to me- deliberately pretending he couldn't hear our conversation.

"No, you're misunderstanding" I said slowly- not wanting to offend her. "We're not together. We're just good friends- nothing more" Her face fell.

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear" she said, clapping her hand to her mouth in embarrassment.

"It's fine" I assured her. "Don't worry about it."

"He is rather handsome though, isn't he?" she whispered, trying to be discreet. Unfortunately, her 'whispering' was as loud, or if not louder than her regular voice, so it had no effect. "You could definitely have fun with him!" Sam was now visibly vibrating with laughter at her comment. "If only I was 30 years younger" she sighed.

"He actually has a thing for older women" I replied slyly. This was payback for him letting me deal with this awkward conversation on my own. She nodded at me knowingly, and I gave her an exaggerated wink in reply. Satisfied, I grabbed my phone from my pocket, and plugged my headphones in- preparing to listen to some music to pass the time. I looked over at Sam. His laughing fit had stopped abruptly once he realised that I had given the cougar the go-ahead to seduce him. I laughed at him, and he shot me a glare in response, which only made me laugh harder. Mission accomplished.

The rest of the flight passed in a comfortable silence, I listened to my music, chatted to Sam, and made sure we swapped numbers- I'd definitely keep in contact with him. Unfortunately all of these distractions still didn't take my mind off the impending convention. We landed on time and moved quickly through passport control, before heading to the baggage carousel. Grabbing our luggage we made our way towards the arrivals gate.

"So, this is it." I said, pausing before passing through the gate.

"Yep. We're actually here. Let me give you a hug, Lex"

"I hope you don't find her" I said, embracing him, although it was muffled as my face was pressed into his shoulder.

"You too. Well, find him, not her." He grinned, giving me a final squeeze. "See you tomorrow, Lex! I'll text you so that we can sit next to each other for the video." We picked up our bags and walked through the gate.

"Sounds great" I replied, with a smile "We can laugh at it together." He grinned in reply, giving me a last final wave, before he headed off to his hotel. I turned in the opposite direction- I'd arranged to meet my sister by the taxi rank, so we could go off to lunch together.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This was such a hard chapter to write! I hope you enjoy. Please leave a review to tell me what you think! Thank you so very much to 'bookworm', 'dancer99', 'Auras McBrooke', 'AHugInACup', ' .Fugii', an anonymous reviewer, 'Elizabeth-Jasper', and 'xxx-benedictbrothersfan-xxx' for reviewing.**

**I've never been to Paris, so this is totally fictitious- please, if you've been to Paris, forgive me- I'm sure it's nothing like how I've described it! Anyway, happy reading!**

**IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THE BOTTOM AUTHOR'S NOTE TO CLEAR UP ANY ISSUES ABOUT YVES THAT ARE ADDRESSED IN THIS CHAPTER. DON'T DO SO BEFORE, BECAUSE YOU'LL SPOIL IT FOR YOURSELF. Sorry for the capitals, but it's important **

Moving along with the general flow of commuters, I followed the crowd until I made it outside. It was a glorious day- the sun was high in the sky, and the temperature was soaring. I grabbed a pair of over-sized sunglasses from my bag, grateful for the relief they gave from the sun's bright glare. Okay, they may not be protecting my eyes very well- Primark isn't renowned for its excellent eyewear department, but at least they looked cool! Besides, I always ended up breaking them, so a cheap pair was probably best.

Weaving my way through the milling pedestrians I began to make my way towards the taxi rank. I craned my neck, trying to look over the crowd for my diminutive little sister who promised she'd meet me somewhere near here. The crowd seemed to disperse a few metres later, and I moved to the side of the pavement, leaning my suitcase against the wall whilst fishing for my phone to call her. Scrolling through my contacts I'd just dialled her number when a squealing female launched themselves at me- nearly knocking me over.

"Alice!" I laughed, delighted. I squeezed her tightly, so happy to see her after nearly a year apart. She giggled happily, as I staggered around- pretending as though she'd winded me from her over enthusiastic greeting. At just 18 Alice was a full 6 years younger than me, a 'happy accident', as my parents described her. She was nearly a full head shorter than me at 5'4, but always wore heels to make up for what she lacked in stature. Today she was my height, if not a bit taller, thanks to her platform sandals. The two of us were virtually identical in looks- we'd both inherited Mum's curly brown hair, Dad's brown eyes, and a similar facial structure, which led to strangers often passing us off as twins. Although she appeared bright, and bubbly I could still sense the sadness within her. Her eyes had dark bags under them, that even her make up couldn't hide. She'd lost weight too, not to the point where she was too thin, but close.

"You look very French, Lex" she answered- looking over my outfit. "All you need is a string of onions, and a baguette and you'll fit right in" she laughed. I leaned over and pinched her nose in retaliation, just like I used to do when we were kids. "Get off, Lex" she giggled, squirming away from my touch.

"So where are we off to, then?" I asked, picking up my bag and throwing my arm around her shoulder, as we ambled along.

"Well, I thought we could get the metro to my apartment as it's much cheaper than the train, and you haven't got that much luggage. We could pop and get some baguettes from the boulangerie next door, and then have a baguette on the rooftop of my apartment block. It's open to everyone, but no one really uses it- so it should be just us. What do you think?"

"Sounds perfect! I can't wait to get changed into a pair of shorts, and relax after the plane ride- I really need to stretch my legs."

XXX

The metro, I discovered, was very similar to the London Underground. Crowded, frantic, and a bit dingy. Keeping to one side of the elevator, I watched in amazement as businessmen sprinted past us in a bid to make their trains. One poor man even tripped up the escalator in his haste! Favouring a more sedate approach, Alice and I made it to our station in about twenty minutes, catching a couple of different trains, having had to swap lines to reach our destination.

We eventually made it to near Alice's apartment. Alice lived right in the centre of Paris- it was an affluent area, but with her gift she could definitely afford it. My younger sister could see the future. She was rather different to others with this gift, as she could only see approximately 24 hours ahead – no further. Although this could be seen as a limitation, it also meant that her visions were much clearer than other seers', and much more certain. What she saw was almost definitely going to come true- no matter what she tried to do to prevent it from happening. At 8 she'd asked my Mother why Grandpa was in hospital. Confused, my mother rang him. He was in perfect health. 8 hours later, he suffered a massive heart attack, and wound up in hospital. At 11, she saw that our family cat, Bubbles, was going to get killed by a car. We kept him inside all day, but when Dad came home from work and opened the door to let himself in, Bubbles, sensing his chance to make his great escape, ran straight out onto the road. Mrs Harris, who lived opposite, had been reversing out of her drive at the time, and didn't see him until it was too late. Bubbles was no more, and Alice was inconsolable. It wasn't all bad, though. At 16, she saw the winning Euromillions lottery numbers. Now, you could say that it was cheating when she purchased the ticket. She knew with utter certainty that the £40 million jackpot was hers. Mum and Dad did chastise her for that – we were supposed to remain below the radar, anonymous in order to ensure that the general public didn't know that some of the population possessed super-human abilities. As a compromise, Alice collected the check anonymously, and promised my parents not to spend it frivolously. The 40 million remained untouched in her bank account, before she moved to Paris. With my parents' help she bought an apartment right near to the art college she was attending, and we all considered it money well spent.

After exiting the metro we popped into the boulangerie to get the baguettes, before heading to Alice's apartment. In the shop the young, cute French owner, named Joffre, tried to chat up Alice. I didn't even know the language, but even I could tell that he was aiming for a date. Alice, uninterested in Joffre's advances, politely turned him down. Well, I think that's what she said- GCSE French meant that I could really only describe my family, and tell you what pets I had, so I couldn't quite be sure, but judging by their body language, that seemed to be the gist of the conversation. Leaving his shop, we walked across the cobbles to Alice's apartment. Just from entering the foyer I could tell that it was a million miles away from my flat back home- it had a functioning lift to start with (something that I was very grateful for- I didn't really fancy lugging my suitcase up the four flights of stairs to Alice's apartment.) Pushing aside the slight pang of jealousy that struck me as I took it all in, we moved to the lift- pressing number four for Alice's floor.

"So, want to tell me about Joffre?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows, and nudging her with my elbow. She groaned in response.

"There's nothing to tell, Lex. He's just likes the challenge of pursuing the new British girl. Besides, how could you tell what he was saying- you don't even speak French!" The elevator began to move as she spoke, the numbers on the control panel lighting up as we passed them.

"Oh, I didn't really have a clue what he was on about. Just call it female intuition. Besides, you've confirmed it now- my hunch was right!" I cackled with glee, as I saw her realise her mistake. "You've been here for a year now, Lex" I continued. "The whole 'he's just after the new girl' excuse, no longer applies- he must be genuinely into you. He seemed nice- you should give it a shot." The elevator pinged, and the sliding doors opened as I finished speaking. Alice got out, and headed for her door as I trailed after her.

"You know I can't be in a relationship now, Lex" her voice was small and totally devoid of hope. She fished out her keys, sliding one of them into the lock, and pushing the door open.

"It's okay to move on, Alice." I say, wrapping my arm around her in comfort. "It doesn't have to be serious. You're only 18- you've got to live and have fun." She shrugged my arm off angrily.

"No, Alexis, I can't just move on!" she shouted. "You don't understand- no one does. Just stop going on about it." I moved away from her, hurt at her remarks. She sighed, rubbing her forehead as though to force some of the anger away. "I'm sorry." She said, calm once again. "I shouldn't have said that. It's just hard trying to come to terms with the fact that I lost my soulfinder at 17 when everyone else is happy, and meeting theirs for the first time. Go shower, and freshen up- I've left towels out for you. It's the second door on the left." I open my mouth to respond, but she's already walked away. "I'll make our sandwiches, while you're in the shower. Take as long as you need- I bet you need to wind down after your journey. Ham and cucumber okay?"

"Yeah, that sounds great thanks, Alice. I'll see you in a bit." I try to sound upbeat, pretending as though she hadn't upset me, and that everything was fine. Pulling my suitcase behind me I make my way to the bathroom. Alice's apartment, I discovered, was very much like her. It's full of keepsakes from home- china plates and ornaments hanging from the walls, as well as countless photo collages of us. There's Alice in a paddling pool when she was three, a photo of the whole family at Disneyland, Savannah and Jack's wedding photo amongst numerous others. It's as though the whole family's constantly with her. Aside from the photographs, her apartment is also littered with easels with half-finished paintings sat on them. They're beautiful pieces of art- ranging from landscapes to portraits to flowers, and all manner of other things. She's an undeniably talented artist, with her College in Paris endlessly sending invites to Mum and Dad to come to some of their exhibitions where Alice's art took centre stage. Unfortunately, they can't get the time off work- Dad's a surgeon, and Mum's a GP, so they just aren't allowed to take the time. It's something that constantly frustrates them, but they've learnt to accept it, and Alice understood.

Pulling open the door that Alice instructed, I gasp in awe at the plush wet- room that awaits me. The shower is enormous- partly enclosed by giant pane of glass, and big enough to fit a football team in. The room is a mix of cream and white- it's modern, but not clinical. Lifting my suitcase, I place it carefully on the dresser, and grab my toiletries. Stripping, I hop in quickly. The shower is glorious. That's the only way to describe it. It has a pull out heated seat, jets in the wall that spray you as you wash, a hand held shower head, and undoubtedly some other features that I've yet to discover. Twenty five minutes later, I force myself to get out and change, hoping that I haven't dented Alice's water bill too severely.

Dressed, I wander out to where I saw Alice move to. Calling out her name, and moving to the sound of her reply, I find myself in her state of the art kitchen.

"Enjoy your shower?" she asked, passing me a freshly made ham and cucumber sandwich and a bottle of ice cold water.

"Amazing!" I draw out the 'ah' sound, and she smiles in response- picking up her own lunch and walking towards the front door with it.

"I'm glad you liked it- I think it's one of the best features of the apartment. Well, aside from the rooftop terrace. You'll have experienced both by the end of today, so I'll let you make your own decision." Smiling, she locks up behind us and we take the lift up to the roof.

"You ready?" she asks, when we reach the top. "You can't prepare yourself for this view!" and with that she pushes open the door, and we step out onto the terrace.

She's right. The view from here is spectacular. My jaw drops in response to what I'm seeing.

"Woah" I whisper, turning my head slowly to take in Paris in all of its glory. From here you could see the whole city- the cobbled streets bustling with people, parts of the Seine as it leisurely wound its way through the city, with people in boats gliding along it effortlessly. If you looked closely, you could even see the outline of the Eiffel tower- jutting out over the skyline.

"No-one comes up here really, so normally I have it all to myself." She moves towards the little plastic table and chairs which are set up next to the wall, overlooking the city. I move to follow her, taking the seat opposite her- still gazing at the backdrop. I eat my lunch quickly, famished from the flight. Full, I turned my head to the sun closed my eyes, and allowed myself to bask in the sun's rays.

"You're gonna meet him tomorrow, you know" I didn't move.

"What are you on about Alice?" I asked "Who am I going to meet?"

"Your soulfinder, silly! He's going to be at the convention. I've seen it." Now that made me sit up and pay attention. She'd never been wrong before. If she'd seen it, it was inevitable that it was going to happen- I was powerless to stop it.

"What?!" I managed to spit out. "No, no, no!" I dropped my head to my hands. "No, it can't happen. I don't want it to happen. I don't want a soulfinder!" Alice looked up at me murderously, her hands clenching so hard on the table that her knuckles had turned white.

"You're going to throw it away? You're not even going to give him a chance? _The _most precious gift that a savant is given, and you're not even going to acknowledge it?"

"Don't be mad, Alice- it's my decision."

"Mad, Alexis? Oh, I'm not mad." She laughed gaily, before staring straight at me. "I'm absolutely furious." It was said with such venom, that I actually shrunk back into my seat.

"I'm sorry Alice it's just-"

"Is this because of what happened to me? Because if it is, you're being totally ridiculous." My must face must have given away the fact that her guess was spot on. "I loved Dragon with all of my heart, and I'd only known him for a few months. I wouldn't change the days I spent with him for anything! Yes, it hurt when I lost him. It hurt like hell. It was worse than anything I'd ever experienced. And, do you know what made it worse? I had seen that he was going to die- I had seen the fire. I told him, I told him not to go in it- and he promised, Alexis! He promised he wouldn't go in there! And then the fire happened. He mink-linked- told me he was going to go in and grab some stuff, and come straight back out- he said we could use it to start our life together, and that he needed to do it because otherwise the Seer would know that something was wrong, and that he'd find out about me and hurt me. I told him not to do it, I told him we'd be fine without it- I'd already won on the lottery. Money was the last of our worries. But he insisted, however much I told him not to. He was in London and I was in Derby- there was nothing I can do. And then, then, the fire became too much." By now the tears were rolling down her cheeks- a cascading waterfall that I was powerless to stop.

"And he knew he was going to die- there was no escape. I could feel the flames licking at his skin, singing his hair. He was in agony, and I could feel it too. I called the fire brigade, the police- anyone, anything, but they didn't believe me. And then, as he was dying, he told me he loved me. Loved me more than anything in the world- and told me to move on, to move on and be happy. How could I be happy without him? I told him this, but he said it was his dying wish. His dying wish was that I be happy. What was I supposed to say to that? I didn't know the answer, so I told him I'd try. And then… then… then I couldn't hear him anymore. Our link went blank- I couldn't reach him. He… he was gone. Do you know what he told me though, Lex?" she asked through her tears. I nodded mutely in reply.

"Yves Benedict started the fire. He could have stopped the flames- saved Dragon and Unicorn. But he didn't. He wanted to see them burn. And, do you know what annoys me now? All those bloody Benedicts swan around, pretending to be so perfect, so good, so wonderful. Oh, they've set up the savant net, they've captured criminals. But they're the biggest crooks of all- and they're fooling every savant in the Net. I hate them. I hate them and their family. They're the reason Dragon is dead!" She collapsed into earth- shattering sobs.

"But Alexis—I know I'm in pain, and I know I'm not the same as I was, but I'm recovering. I'll slowly get better. Don't throw away your soulfinder because you're afraid of losing them. Don't lose them before you've found them." She wiped her tears frantically with the back of her hand.

"Promise me, Alexis, promise me you'll give him a chance. Please, do it for me" I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat, trying to avoid answering. "Alexis…" she growled

"Fine." I said, resigned to my fate. "I'll give it a chance- I promise." She smiled through her tears- happy that she'd achieved her objectives.

"Thank you" she whispered, drained from her speech, the tears still flowed down her cheeks as she slumped in her cheeks. Getting up from my seat, I pull Alice into my lap- she needs the comfort right now, and she needs to let it out. I hold her as she cries, and stroking her hair as her tears soak into my shirt. "It's okay, Al" I whisper soothingly, "It's all gonna' be alright." I let her cry until she exhausts herself. Twenty minutes later I feel her begin to doze off. Carefully, I extricate myself from her, letting her now sleeping body hunch in the chair. Quickly I stack the plates, scraping the left-overs into the bin along with the water bottles. I take the plates back down to the apartment, before coming back up for Alice.

"Alice" I nudge her gently. "Alice, you've got to wake up" she mumbles drowsily, and I pull her to her feet, and putting my arm underneath her shoulder to support her weight. We stagger slowly to the lift, and then to her apartment. Moving slowly, I navigate us to her bedroom, letting Alice's exhausted body slip under the covers. Carefully, I remove her shoes and tuck the covers around her. Writing a quick note to explain what happened, and promising her I'll see her tomorrow, I press a kiss to Alice's forehead, collect my luggage and turn to leave the flat. The door locks automatically behind me, and I make my way down to the foyer. A tear falls against my will as I get into the lift. I brush it away angrily. Exiting, more fall, but I can't help it. Why is the world so cruel?

**A/N: Just to clarify- I know Yves didn't deliberately kill Dragon and Unicorn- the flames got out of his control, and I think he thought they'd escaped. Alice's idea that all the Benedict's are evil is essential to the plot of the story- so her confusion over what really happened is intentional! If you haven't read 'Stealing Phoenix', then this probably won't make sense, but I'm guessing most of you have? [End of important note that I asked readers to look at at the start of the chapter ****]**

**Anyway, so who saw that coming? Yes, Dragon, Phee's 'brother' who died in the fire in 'Stealing Phoenix' was Alice's soulfinder! He wasn't such a baddy after all (well, at least in my world!) I imagine him as someone who's like Zed underneath- he was drifting until Alice came along, but kept up his cruel façade towards Phee, even though he knew it was wrong as he didn't want the Seer to become suspicious of him and find out about Alice. I always felt sorry for Dragon's soulfinder- even though we never knew who she was, and that idea was the inspiration for the story- Alexis was a by-product (even though she's the protagonist). **

**Please leave a review- you guys are awesome! :D**

**Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you to all my reviewers- I wouldn't write if it weren't for your feedback. I hope you like this chapter :)**

Walking back out into the sun I flag down a taxi. One stops a moment later, and I climb in quickly.

"Sont vous bien Mademoiselle?" the concerned cabbie asks. He looks around fifty, and his eyes convey his concern.

"Oui" I let out a shaky gasp, before composing myself. "Je suis très bien, merci monsieur." The cabbie doesn't look convinced, but I smile brightly. "L'hôtel de Noailles si vous plait." He nods in understanding, smoothly pulling away from the curb and into the traffic. He doesn't ask any more questions, and for that I am grateful. It gives me time to pull myself together.

By the time I arrive at the hotel I've managed to stop crying and fix my make- up. No one found panda eyes very attractive. Paying the cabbie with a swipe of my credit card, I grab my suitcase and walk onto the pavement. It was odd though, as I walked further towards the hotel I felt better somehow. It wasn't the sort of better that came because you were relieved that you'd arrived at your destination safely, but more that I had this overwhelming sense of security and inner peace as soon as I entered. 'I must just be tired', I thought. The stress of today was making me delusional- I needed to lie down. Sighing, I assessed my surroundings. I'd looked the hotel up on the internet, but nothing could have prepared me for its beauty in real life. It was an old Parisian building, with hundreds of windows, and beautiful architecture- a truly magnificent building. I was used to the Premier Inn at £25 a night, so nothing had prepared me for this. A man in the hotel's uniform opened the door for me, and ushered me in. I thought it was a tad excessive, but hey- who was I to complain!

The inside was just as opulent. An enormous chandelier hung from the ceiling in reception, and the lobby was lined with velvet sofas. Bellhops moved racks of dry cleaning towards the elevators, and elegantly dressed women bedecked in diamonds teetered in their Louboutins towards the upmarket restaurant. There was a swimming pool, a bar (in which I'd undoubtedly be drowning my sorrows in tomorrow afternoon), a sauna, a steam room, and a gift shop- it was more like a small village than a hotel.

Moving to the reception desk to check in I was served by a friendly looking lady, with wavy red hair. "Bonjour! English?" she asked with a heavy French accent. I nodded- was it really that obvious that I was from the UK? I hadn't even muttered a word of since I'd entered the building.

"Welcome to the L'hôtel de Noailles'. We hope you enjoy your stay with us. Do you have your booking reference and ID please?" I handed them over without question, and she looked over them before typing furiously into her computer.

"Ahh, yes, Miss Anderson. You're on floor 5, room 17" She handed back my passport, sliding a key card along with it. "There's an elevator just over there" She pointed, in the direction of the three lifts, "which will take you to your floor. Don't hesitate to ask if there's anything you need. Room service is available 24 hours a day, and all of the facilities are free to use. I hope you enjoy your stay with us."

"Thank you" I reply, picking up the key card and my passport before making my way to the lift. The strange sensation I'd felt outside had since amplified upon entering the hotel. It was a strange sensation, like a prickling at the back of my neck. Not annoying, but comforting somehow.

One of the lift's doors opened as I was a few metres away and an elderly couple stepped out. Quickening my steps I dashed forward- leaping into the compartment before the doors closed and I had to wait for another one. Pressing '5' for my floor I waited patiently as the lift began to fill with other guests. There was a young couple, a middle-aged and a prim looking businesswoman who all entered after me. Just as the doors began to slide shut there was a commotion in the lobby, and the strange prickling sensation began to increase with fervour. A tall man of at least 6 foot, who was built like a rugby player, was running full tilt at the lift. I couldn't quite make out his features, but I had a sneaking suspicion that he was devastatingly handsome. He had his arm raised above him, as if he were hailing a taxi. Perplexed, I watched in amazement as he came closer.

"Stop! Hold the elevator!" he yelled. He was American- I could tell that much from his accent. The doors closed before he could reach us, and I was left rather confused by his determination to be in this lift. There were three fully functioning lifts in the lobby, so he wouldn't have had to have waited for very long to catch a different one. Besides, this one was kind of full, so he would have been better to wait.

Unless there was someone in the lift that he knew, and needed to talk to? Glancing around it seemed as though no-one but me had been paying attention to the remarkable scene that had just played out right in front of us. The young couple had been too busy playing table tennis, whilst the businesswoman was glued to her phone. I was pretty sure a bomb could have detonated right next to them, and they would have still remained oblivious. The middle- aged man was leaning against the rail of the elevator, turned away from the action. His eyelids kept slipping closed, as though he was so tired he was nearly falling asleep stood up. When the lift lurched upwards he'd been jolted awake- something that provided me with much amusement. Shaking my head, I dismissed my ideas. The elevator began to crawl slowly upwards- guests were replaced as we made our way up the floors as some got out and others entered.

Soon we reached my floor. I stepped out into the corridor, following it as it bent round to the left. The room numbers dropped the further I walked. '22,21,20,19,18…17'

"Yes" I murmured to myself, relieved that I'd found my room. Sliding the card into the panel on the door I watched as it flashed green, and I heard the mechanical click, which meant the door was now open. Pulling the card from the slot, I twisted the handle and walked in.

I was met by a large room with a double bed, a fully stocked mini-bar, and, best of all, a widescreen TV. Promptly I dropped my bags at the door and ran, jumping onto the bed with all the elegance of a lumbering baby elephant. I landed with a thump, nestling my face in the mountains of plump pillows at the head of the bed. I inhaled deeply. Ahhh, lavender- my favourite. Rolling over, I grabbed the TV remote on the bedside table. Snuggling into the cushions I lay on my back in prime view of the enormous TV directly opposite me. Cosy, I exhaled- it was time to unwind and watch some telly!

XXX

The TV, I'd discovered in the past 5 hours, had every TV channel known to man. I'd watched countless re-runs of 'The Big Bang Theory', sobbed my way through 'Marley and Me' (Marley looked uncannily like Monty, which made his eventual death all the worse), and was now half way through watching some American building show similar to the UK's 'Grand Designs'. It was now 8 o'clock, and, as I couldn't be bothered to move, I'd decided to order room service.

Skimming the menu I decided to order the most expensive dish on the menu- Sirloin steak with all the trimmings. Ringing reception and telling them to put it on my tab I laid back and relaxed. The Net would have to pick up the bill. Now, ordinarily I hated letting people pay for me. My pet peeve was when men insisted on paying for my meal on a date. This was the twenty-first century for crying out loud! Women were to be treated equally, and were perfectly capable of paying for themselves! This instance, however, was different. This, due to the bloody interfering Savant Net, was my last night of freedom. My last night of being able to do whatever I wanted, and being able to completely forget about stupid soulfinders. Who knew what tomorrow would bring? Well, aside from Alice, who knew what tomorrow would hold? Great, now I was depressed.

So then I raided the fully stocked, highly alcoholic mini-bar.

**A/N: Can anyone guess who the American was then? ;) Please leave a review! If I hit 30 reviews I'll upload chapter 7 today as it's already written :)**

**Also, I have written this chapter from Will's POV, intending to publish it as chapter 8. After deciding that it doesn't quite fit (I want to write the whole story from Alexis' POV) I've decided that it will be published as an outtake once I've finished the story. If you want to read it now, however (as it will give you some more information on the Benedict's) please say so in a review, or PM me and I can sent it to you over PM. Thanks!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you so much to all of you that reviewed- I'm truly amazed that so many of you are enjoying the story. You guys rock! Now we've hit 30 reviews here's chapter 7 as promised!**

**IMPORTANT A/N ABOUT CHAPTERS IN WILL'S POV: If you are interested in reading chapter 6 from Will's POV please look at the author's note at the bottom of chapter 6. If you left a review to say you'd like to read it, then I think I have messaged it to all of you, but please PM me if I've missed someone- apologies. I will mention in an A/N if I've written another chapter from Will's POV. If you don't want to read Will's POV right now, they will be published as outtakes once I've finished the fic, which should be in a couple of months (fingers crossed, and providing that I update regularly). **

**Thanks guys! Happy reading! This is one of my favourite chapters- so I hope you like it too :)**

I was rudely awoken by a loud pounding on my door. Groaning, I rolled over to look at the time on the clock on the bedside table. It was 5.45 am. Who the hell was beating on my door at this ungodly hour? Not to mention that I was still functioning on British time, which meant to my body clock that it was 4.45 am. Like I said, who on earth wakes people up at this ungodly hour?

"No thanks" I shouted hoarsely, presuming that it was the cleaning staff, as I'd forgotten to put the 'Do not disturb' sign on my door. My head was still throbbing from last night's escapades, and I buried myself back under the covers in an attempt to block out the noise, and fall into a peaceful slumber.

"Alexis Jayne Anderson, you will let me in right now!" Oh God. I knew that voice, and the use of my full name made it even worse. There was no use in hiding- the tiny hurricane would soon descend, and my hopes of a peaceful lie in were undoubtedly quashed. Sighing, I yanked off my duvet and trudged to the door- blearily rubbing the sleep from my eyes and yawning loudly. Pulling open my door, I was met by my younger sister who was tapping her foot impatiently.

"Alexis!" she gasped, taking in my bedraggled appearance. She walked in quickly, slamming the door behind us.

"Lex, what did you do? I've only got a few hours to beautify you- you could have at least gotten a decent night's sleep!" She exclaimed, taking in the dark bags under my eyes, and the unnatural whiteness of my cheeks. Her gaze flickered to the empty bottles on the floor.

"Oh, Lex" she sighed, pulling me into a hug "What happened? You don't even drink normally."

"I don't want it, Alice. I don't want to be forced to be with someone." I sobbed. I'd tried to be strong, to take it all in my stride, but it had just become too much. I buried my head in her shoulder, and let the tears fall. "I'm happy where I am- I'm happy with my life now. I don't want to move away from Derby- it's my home. I just wanted to forget, Alice. I just wanted to forget what was happening for one night. Just for one night." Alice ran her hands through my hair soothingly.

"Lex, it's supposed to be a good thing- not something you dread. He's not going to be some dictator who orders you around, and strips you of your independence."

"You don't know that, Alice!"

"Hey, look, we'll deal with it when we get to it. And, Lex" I look at her. "I can see the future, remember? I can get you out of all kinds of shit." I laugh in response. "Now go get yourself in the shower missy- I'll deal with the rest." Nodding, I slink into the shower- hoping that it'll wake me up. Twenty minutes later, I'm feeling infinitely better. The throbbing in my head seems to have diminished somewhat, and the warm water had improved my mood. I'd just got to get through today, and then I could move on with my life. Well, at least until next year. Wrapping a towel around myself I walk out into my bedroom. Alice had opened the curtains, tidied up from last night, and was now pawing through my suitcase. She'd laid out the dress and jacked I'd picked for the convention on my bed. Hearing my entrance she turned to face me, holding my converse between her fingers- a look of utter distaste written all over her face.

"Converse, Lex?" she asks "The dress I can deal with, but converse?" she shrieks. "What am I going to do with you?" I don't reply- I was guessing the question was rhetorical. She chucks my bra and pants at me. "Get into these and put a robe on. I'll do the rest." Thankfully I manage to catch them without letting the towel drop, and exposing myself. Yes, we were sisters, but I'd rather not let her see my birthday suit. I head to the bathroom to change, emerging moments later, and tying the fluffy robe the hotel provided around my waist. Alice has set up a chair in the main room, ushering me towards it she pushes me into it.

"Just sit and relax." She orders me, pulling out from her bag more cosmetics than most drug stores stock. No exaggeration. I shut my eyes as she buffs and polishes my skin- dozing in and out of consciousness as she plucks at my eyebrows, and yanks my hair into some intricate style that I would never be able to create- I was more of a ponytail or bun girl. After inhaling what felt like a whole can full of hairspray, Alice proudly declared that I was 'ready'. Dressing carefully and pulling on my trusty battered converse I surveyed myself in the full length mirror. Alice had worked her magic once more- her artistic flair was not limited just to canvases it seemed. My make-up was light and natural, bringing out my eyes and making my cheeks look fresh and rosy. My hair had been teased into a loose side bun, with a few loosely curled strands framing my face. If she wasn't an artist, I would have strongly recommended that she become a make-up artist to the stars.

"Thank you, Al" I whispered, hugging her tightly. "Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome, Lex. I love you, you know?"

"Yeah" I replied. "Yeah, I love you too. Now let's get this over with!"

Glancing at the clock I saw that it was 8am. The convention was at least a ten minute walk away, and as much as I didn't want to go, I didn't want to be late either. Grabbing my beach bag Alice and I left the room arm in arm. Watch out- the Andersons were coming.

XXX

Fifteen minutes later we arrived at the convention. There was a large queue up the steps to the entrance, which we joined the end of. The banners adorning the outside of the building stated that today was the 'Biggest International speed dating event', but that admittance was by invitation only. They'd conveniently left out the fact that the 'event' was only open to savants, but I guessed that admitting such a thing would compromise our anonymity. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out. It was Sam.

'Where are you? :)' he'd written.

'In the queue. You? :-)'

'I'm already in the first room waiting for the video. I've saved you a seat- I'm in the back row. Text me when you get through, and I'll come meet you :)'

'Fab, will do- thanks! I'll see you in a bit."

He sent a smiley face back, and I slid my phone back into my pocket. Looking around I observed the savants around me. They all looked so ordinary. It was hard to believe that everyone here was a savant. There were people from far and wide- speaking languages that I couldn't identify. There was a great range of ages too- 18 year olds like Alice, right through to people who looked older than my parents, or even my grandparents! I chewed my lip nervously as the queue moved forward.

"Stop doing that Alexis! You'll ruin your lipstick!" Alice reprimanded, assuming the maternal role. I rolled my eyes in retaliation, and she sighed.

We'd neared the front of the queue when a commotion broke out on the top of the steps. Alice and I had a prime view- whether we wanted one or not. An older man and woman were being forcefully escorted from the building by a tall, broad Hispanic man whose face was full of rage. He was joined by a petite blonde, who wrapped her small hands around his bicep- not in the least afraid of him.

"Get out, and stay out! You are not welcome here! You could have killed my soulfinder, and you're lucky I'm letting you leave here alive. It's only because of her that you are leaving- if it were left to me you'd be dead by now." He said it with a deathly anger- he was lethal. I had no doubts that his threats were real.

The woman staggered down the steps- the man trailing behind her. Their eyes were glassy and both of them looked totally intoxicated. The woman had a thick layer of foundation, giving her an orange complexion, along with bright red lipstick to complete the look. The man was equally as dishevelled, sporting a scruffy T-shirt, and stained trousers. The woman turned to face the man who'd escorted her out and looked straight at the blonde.

"Come on, Rachel! Don't you remember your Auntie Jo and Uncle Ian? We looked after you! We're awfully sorry that we had to leave you in the car park. We were going to come back for you, weren't we Ian? We just got waylaid- that was all!" She elbowed the man next to her, and he chimed in.

"Yeah" he mumbled incoherently, staggering from side to side. "We always meant to come back for you, Rosie."

"It's Rachel, Ian, you moron. Rachel!" she whispered loudly.

"Sorry. Yeah, we always meant to come back for you Rachel. We'd never have left Franny's girl in a car park."

"See, Rachel?" she said, smiling. Her yellowed teeth, stained with her red lipstick, were on full display. "We aren't bad people. We always wanted the best for you. Now why don't we put this behind us and move on, be a real family? What do you say?" She opened her arms as if expecting the blonde to launch herself into them.

The man on the top of the steps was now visibly vibrating with anger. His jaw was clenched in his efforts to constrain his rage, and his fists were clenched so that his knuckles had turned white. The pretty blonde reached up on her tip toes and whispered something in his ear. He immediately calmed down in response.

"No, Jo. You have never been my aunt, and never will be. We cannot 'move past this'. I already have a family, and you're not in it. You left me in that car park and had no intention of returning. I could have died, and you wouldn't have cared. Besides, you turned yellow, so I know without doubt that you were lying." The woman shifted awkwardly from foot to foot- her guilty conscience obvious to anyone watching. Well, actually it wasn't perhaps a guilty conscience that caused her movements- more the fact that she'd been caught lying.

"Don't bother coming back here again." The blonde, and the man, who I presumed to be her boyfriend made to move back inside. Before they could do so, she called down to the lady again.

"Oh, and Jo? I go by Sky now." She then grabbed the hand of the man beside her, and tugged him inside- it appeared that she had him well under her control. "Let's go, Zed. I don't want to waste any more time on these pathetic people." He wrapped his arm around her, and sent one last rage-filled glare in the couple's direction, before pressing a kiss to his girlfriend's head, and walking her inside. The crowd was left in a stunned silence for a minute, before conversation gradually began to pick back up.

"What do you think that was about?" I asked, looking at my sister who looked just as confused as I was.

"No idea, Lex. No idea at all." By now the queue had moved so far forward that we had entered the building to make our way through security. Security was a little different in a savant community I discovered. First, we had to drop our shields and let a tall, kind Hispanic man assess us. He told us his name was Saul, and that he had the ability to sense danger. Once he deemed that Alice and I were no threat he let us through, onto the next stage of the security checks. The next stage was conducted by the blonde we'd seen on the steps. She was wrapped securely in her boyfriend's arms, as he wiped away her tears and talked quietly to her. She nodded at whatever he was saying, pressing her face into his chest, and pulling herself even tighter to him. Noticing our entrance she pulled away slightly, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

"Sorry" she said softly. "I'm not normally like this"

"Don't worry" I smiled. "It's fine- honestly. Are you okay?"

"I will be." She turned to her boyfriend. "Go back to the desks Zed, I'm fine- I'll call if I need anything." He looked as though he didn't want to leave her, refusing to drop his arms from around her waist.

"Okay." He said, after watching her plead with her eyes. "But you call me if anything, and I mean anything, Sky, is wrong. Yeah?" She nodded in response, and he pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "Love you."

"I love you too, Zed. Now, shove off before you delay me any further." She winked, and he tickled her teasingly before he left the room.

"Sorry about that." She said, turning her attention to us again. "He's a bit overprotective, and that encounter pushed him nearly over the edge. Anyway" she continued, smiling. "My name's Sky, and I'm a sort of lie detector- so you just have to answer a few of my questions before you can go through to the registration desks, okay?" We nod in understanding, and she begins to ask us questions: 'Do you have any intention of harming anyone at the convention?', 'Do you have any weapons on you'. She asks each of us about five questions, explaining that if we were lying we'd 'turn yellow' and be escorted out of the conference. I didn't quite know what she meant by that, but I didn't want to ask her- she'd had a rough day already judging by the step ordeal. Once she was satisfied that we hadn't 'turned yellow' she let us pass through to the registration phase. We were told by a helper to move to a desk manned by a friendly brunette called 'Phee'. Well, that's what it said on her label. I went first.

"Hi, I'm Phee. I'm here to get you registered, and give you your seat number for the circle. Have you got your ID with you?" I went first, and handed her my passport. The instructions they'd sent had mentioned that I needed to bring some form of ID, and thankfully I'd remembered it. Taking it from me, she looked at it, and proceeded to type into the laptop next to her. "Ahaa" she exclaimed. "Yes, you're on the outside of the circle on table 506." 506! I hadn't realised that there would be that many savants! My face must have displayed my amazement.

"Don't worry" she laughed "The tables get taken out once a pair meet, so the circle doesn't stay that big for long. Last year half the tables had been removed after just half an hour- the matches were so fast!" She wrote down my table number, and on what side of the table I was supposed to sit on a piece of paper which she slipped into a lanyard. She printed out a label with my photograph and name on it and slipped it onto the other side of the lanyard. "Keep this around your neck at all times, but if you lose it don't worry- just come around here and we'll get you another one. Your name and photograph is stuck onto the table you have to sit at for the matching, and all the chairs are numbered, so you should be okay to find your seat. If you have any problems at all don't hesitate to ask! All of us helpers are bedecked in this lovely orange shade, so we're easy to spot, and we're all happy to help." She gestured to the garish fluorescent orange t-shirt she was wearing to emphasise her point. "Right, Alexis, you can head through to the video room now, as you're done."

"I'll just wait for Alice"

"Oh, yes that's fine- sorry I forgot you'd come together." She turned to Alice.

"Can I have your ID please?" she asked, and Alice handed it over.

"Actually, I'm here to have my name taken off the list. My soulfinder passed away in a fire last year, so I don't need to attend the conventions anymore." She said it, fighting back the tears.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that-" Phee glanced at the passport "Alice." Her face expressing her sincere sadness at Alice's situation. "You poor dear." Phee passed Alice a tissue to wipe away the tear that had fallen down her face.

"Would I be able to get their name? I know it seems rude of me to ask, but it's the Net's policy" she says sympathetically.

"Dragon" Phee's face seemed to lose its colour.

"Do you have a surname for him?" she asked, her fingers trembling.

"No, but he lived in London." Phee brought her hands up to her mouth and gasped- tears welling up in her eyes.

"A stocky red- head, built like a rugby player?"

"Yeah" Alice replied, confused. "Yeah, that was Dragon. How do you know?" But by now Phee was hyperventilating, her breaths coming in ragged gasps as tears began to leak from her eyes.

"Oh God, oh God, oh God" she chanted to herself. "No, no, no!" she wept. "Yves!" she shouted, turning to the man at the registration desk next to ours. He came over straight away.

"Phee, what's wrong?" he asked concerned, wrapping his arms around her and wiping away her tears.

"Yves" she said, and pointed to Alice. "That's Dragon's soulfinder." He turned to face us, his face turning a sickly green colour as he absorbed the information.

"Oh God!" he cried, anguished. "What have I done? They weren't meant to die- they were meant to leave the fire!"

"You'd better come through, Alice" Phee said weakly, standing up from her chair, and motioning for Alice to follow them. "We need to have a chat." Her voice broke on the last word. Alice motioned to me that she'd follow them, and I nodded- giving her a quick hug.

"You want me to come with you?" I asked her. Yves Benedict hadn't been what I expected. I had thought he was a cold, merciless killer. I mean, how could you have any other personality and be able to live with yourself knowing that you had burnt someone alive? I suppose, it must just be a façade- the Benedict's had to pretend to be perfect to keep up their pristine reputation in the Net.

"No, I'll be fine."

"Okay, mind-link me if there's any problems, yeah?" she nodded, and I gave her a quick squeeze before we went our separate ways: Alice to confront her soulfinder's murderer; and I to meet my soulfinder. I didn't know which was worse.

**So, who recognised 'Red lips' and Ian from 'Finding Sky'? I thought it would be a bit boring if they just died- I always wanted to know when I read the books what would happen if Sky saw them again (not to mention what Zed would do!)**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter- please leave a review! Constructive criticism is welcomed :)**

**If I hit 40 reviews today I'll try and update tonight, if not the next chapter will probably be in a couple of days :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Wow! 41 reviews! I wasn't expecting that! Thank you so much to everyone that reviewed- I'm really quite overwhelmed! Here's chapter 8. Chapter 9 will be the one you've all been waiting for, and as I want to write it well, and do it justice, it may be a while before I update it. This is a bit of a filler chapter, and it's not that great, but just bear with me :) I'm currently still sending Will's POV to people- please PM/ mention it in a review if you'd like to read it, and I'll send it to you :) Enjoy!**

I watched Alice walk away with Yves and Phee before pulling out my phone and texting Sam.

'Got through security and registration. Where are you? :-)'

He messaged back immediately.

'I'm on the left as you go through the double doors. English entrance. I'll be looking for you. See you in a bit :)'

Moving with the general flow of the crowd I began to see what he meant. There were several rooms in which people could enter to see the video- each of them bearing a different flag above the door. After asking an orange helper what they meant, I learnt that the flags denoted what language the video would be shown in, and that, as I was an English speaker, I should head to the very end of the corridor for the room with all manner of English speaking countries flags above its entrance. Thanking him profusely for his help, I wandered on looking at all of the different flags that were on display. There were so many nationalities here- with flags that I didn't even know existed! The English speaking room was at the very end of the corridor- just my luck. Walking in behind a pair of jolly Scotsman (who were wearing kilts for the occasion!) I spotted Sam, who was, as he promised he'd be, on the left of the double door entrance. He was sipping water from a plastic, disposable cup that was crunched between his fingers. I could sense his nervousness from here.

"Hey" I say, walking up to him. He drops his cup in the bin next to him, and grins at me.

"Hey, Lex! I am so glad you're here- it's so nice to see someone who disgusts these conventions as much as I do!" He whispered the last part rather emphatically, and I laughed. He was right- everyone else looked simply elated at the prospect of possibly finding their soulfinder. Sam and I stuck out like sore thumbs, each of us humming with a nervous energy that I doubted even a heavy dose of anti- anxiety tablets would be able to quell.

"Want to find some seats?" I asked, gesturing to the auditorium that was rapidly filling up with a steady stream of savants.

"Yeah- we don't want to be near the front. I reserved us some seats this way- come on." He led the way through the thick crowd, keeping a loose grasp on my wrist to ensure that we didn't get separated. Battling our way through the masses of people we took our seats in the back row. The room was designed like a massive lecture theatre, although was much more informal, and didn't contain any desks. There were hundreds of rows of seats, on a slight downward slant, which lead to a small stage and a large screen, where I guessed the video would be projected onto. The angle of the seats meant that even on the back row we still got a really good view of the screen- not that either Sam or I wanted one. Helpers in orange shirts urged savants to move closer together and fill all of the available seats in order to free up room for others. This is how I ended up sat next to a middle aged American lady who just didn't shut up, even though no one was listening to her! As soon as we moved to occupy the seats next to her I immediately understood why everyone had given her such a wide berth. Before I'd even sat down she was talking to me!

"Hi, I'm Megan" she held out her hand for me to shake

"Alexis" I said in response, holding out my hand to shake too. She didn't seem to acknowledge this- instead ploughing straight into her solo performance of her life story so far.

"I'm 40, and I'm from Texas" Ah, so that explained the Southern drawl "and this is my 16th convention so far. I've been to every single one- not just the global ones. I'm so excited to be here-" I blocked her out at this point- I had no desire to listen to her blathering on about every inconsequential detail of her life. Instead, I decided to nod at the appropriate time, and pray the video began to start very soon. Thankfully, a few minutes later, a man sat down on her other side and she turned her attention to him- much to my relief. I turned to Sam, opening my mouth to convey just what I thought about motor-mouth Megan, but I didn't get the opportunity. Instead, the lights began to dim, and the screen at the front of the auditorium lit up. A tinny voice sounded over the tannoy system.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 5th annual savant soulfinder convention. Please turn your mobile phones off, and listen attentively to the following presentation, which will last for approximately 20 minutes. Try to contain yourselves- the matching is only half an hour away!" I rolled my eyes- I was definitely able to contain my excitement- I didn't have any. Megan, on the other hand, seemed to have much more of an issue. She was currently bouncing up and down on her seat like a child in the middle of a sugar high. I really pitied the man that ended up with her- he wouldn't be able to get a word in edgeways! Thankfully, the video began to play, and a woman- the presenter I guessed, moved into shot. When her face came into view I seemed to recognise her from somewhere, but I couldn't think where. She began to talk then, interrupting my inner ramblings.

"Hi, I'm Dr Victoria Blackford- science reporter for the BBC." I knew I recognised her! But why on earth was she presenting this video? She couldn't be a savant- we were supposed to remain anonymous, out of the public eye. "I met my husband, Jared Blackford, at last year's convention, and I'm here to explain to you about what's going to be happening today." Right, so she was a savant. So much for anonymity being the most important rule- she was flouting it in style! The camera cut away just as a man, who I presumed to be her husband, walked into shot and embraced her. I brought a hand up to my forehead, groaning. I really didn't want to watch their affections for one another on the big screen, or at all in fact! Judging by the look on Sam's face, he didn't either- he looked positively ill at the thought of finding his soulfinder at the convention. The video then changed topic, with Victoria opting for a serious tone to explain the rules of the convention.

It was then that the strange prickling sensation that I'd felt yesterday came back with fervour. I tried to ignore it, scratching my neck slightly in order to try and ease the sensation, whilst still paying attention to the video. The sensation only amplified as the video continued, but I learned to ignore it, however odd it may be. I'd get Savannah to have a look at my neck when I got home, see if she could pin down what was causing these random sensations.

I turned my full attention back to the video, which was now explaining exactly how the matching procedure worked. It was exactly as demonstrated in the leaflet that the Net had sent to me previously. The video used a diagram to explain proceedings, with Victoria's chirpy voiceover aiding the explanation. Women were to sit on the outside of the circle, whilst the men would be on the inside. The men were to move in a clockwise direction, and were to move on after a minute, which was signalled by a loud alarm that could be heard all across the room. Once people found their soulfinders they would leave the circle and go into a different room, where there were refreshments on offer, to get to know each other. That table would then be removed by helpers, and the circle would gradually get smaller as a result. People were allowed to make links in their native language, and there were translators in green shirts dotted around the room, which would help any communication issues between soulfinders. The process was to continue until every savant had met all of their possible matches, which, they were anticipating, could take up to four hours! Thankfully, there would be a fifteen minute break after each hour, to allow people a chance to nip to the loo and eat. The explanation ended by Victoria reminding us that one of the rules of the convention was that each participant had to make contact with the other- that way there was no way that any matches to be missed. And, with that, the lights turned back on and the screen went blank.

I sat there shell-shocked for a minute. The audience were whooping and cheering- eager for the matching to start, but I just feel numb. The tinny sound of the tannoy echoed over the auditorium once more- directing those on the outer circle to leave via the back doors, whilst those on the inner circle should leave via the front doors. Shaky, I stood up with Sam. The enormity of the situation had suddenly come crashing down on me, and I wasn't ready for it.

"So, I guess this is it" I say, as we give each other a quick hug.

"Yeah" he replies, running his hand through his hair in nervousness.

"Text me how you get on?" I ask him. He forces a smile at me.

"Yeah- I will do. You too, yeah?" I nod in response as we begin to walk out of our row.

"Good luck, Lex" he says, before descending the steps towards his exit.

"And you" I reply with a smile. He turns, heading towards his exit, and I head to mine. And suddenly, suddenly I feel all alone. How is it that in a crowd of people you often feel the most isolated? 'Please' I think to myself- praying that some higher power can hear me- that anyone can hear me. 'Please let Alice be wrong. Please don't let me find him.'

**Review? Pretty please?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you to all of you who have reviewed! You are all incredible! I can't believe I've got 61 reviews- I thought I'd only get a couple! Thank you so much- your reviews are what encourage me to write!**

**Okay, so here it is, the one you've all been waiting for! This was so incredibly difficult for me to write, and I'm still not entirely happy with it, but I haven't updated in a while, so I thought I'd post anyway. I hope you enjoy! Please leave a review- all feedback is welcomed **

Walking along with the flow of the crowd I couldn't help but feel this sense of utter helplessness. Alice's vision was going to come true- they always did. I just had to resign myself to that, as difficult as that was. After today my life would change forever- marginally, or enormously I didn't know which, but after today I'd finally face my soulfinder. I think the worst part is the not knowing. Not knowing if they were a chauvinist, if they were a jerk, or if we even spoke the same language. And for most people- if they were going to ever meet them. It was like waiting for some massive Result's Day, but never knowing when the date would be, or if it would ever come. My skin felt clammy as I walked- a thin sheen of sweat covering my body, even though it was mild inside. People were shoving past each other as we walked- desperate to make it to the matching room first. I hung back, allowing the hordes of jabbering women to march past me. I didn't quite understand their urgency- for the matching would not commence until everyone was seated.

Once the main group had charged through I followed them at a more sedate pace. Passing through an enormous archway I entered the infamous 'matching room'. It was a lot larger than I had ever anticipated, like a giant aircraft hangar- so large that I had to really squint to make out the ends. The tables were arranged in an oval formation, as promised, with chairs on either side of each table. Small maps were handed to each of us by helpers as we filed in containing a numbered diagram of the layout of the floor plan. The numbers of the tables on the map helped you work out where you were sat, allowing you to find the quickest route to your seat. Well, that was the idea. I, meanwhile, was trying to work out which was the quickest escape route from my seat. Studying it, I saw that I was directly in front of a large pillar, which meant that in real life it was easy for me to find my position. Savants were already beginning to take their seats, and I moved swiftly towards mine, dodging past the elderly women who were shuffling towards their seats. The prickling at the back of my neck seemed to grow stronger as I walked, and I tried to rub it away with the palm of my hand.

I found my seat a couple of minutes later. As promised by Phee, there was a giant label with my name and the unflattering ID photograph I'd sent in sellotaped to the table top, so I had no doubts that this was where I was to sit. I sat gingerly, shrugging off my jacket and hooking it on the back of my chair. It was quite disconcerting to see an enormous photograph of myself staring up at me, and so I made quick work of removing it, despite the damage it did to my already shabby nails. Peeling it off quickly I shoved it into the pocket of my jacket- promising myself that I would drop it in the bin at the next opportunity. Thankfully, no one had sat opposite me yet. I looked at their placard- it wasn't sellotaped down like mine as the inner circle moved, so it was just for initial identification, and could be removed once they sat down. I spun it round to face me, nervous to see who my first potential soulfinder candidate was. The card said that his name was Dylan Moore, and his ID picture showed that he was very handsome. He had the whole surfer vibe going for him, with a golden tan, and choppy blonde hair.

"Gorgeous, isn't he?" a voice said to my left. I jumped, startled, turning to see a bespectacled blonde male hovering over my shoulder.

"Yes…" I say, slightly confused by his ogling. I replace the placard, swivelling in my chair to look at him as he takes his seat on the outside of the circle, just to my left.

"I'm sorry, but shouldn't you be" I point to the inside of the circle, where the men were sat. I didn't quite understand how he could be on the wrong side- that was the most obvious thing about this layout! He began to cackle in response, keeling over as if I'd said something so hilarious that he was no longer capable of sitting upright. I watched bemused at his antics. He recovered himself a few moments later, theatrically wiping a tear of laughter from his eye and pushing his glasses back up his nose.

"I'm sorry, but that's the first time someone's ever mistaken me for being straight!" And with that explanation, he began laughing again. My cheeks flared red in response, and I raised my hand to my mouth.

"I am so, so sorry!" I say, shocked- totally mortified at my misjudgement. "I didn't mean-" he cut me off with a wave of his hand.

"Don't worry love-I'm not offended!" I tried to smile back, still incredibly embarrassed at my incorrect assumption.

"So, you like the look of" I tilt my head and look back at the placard "Dylan, then?" I ask. His eyes light up in response.

"Uhuh! He is looking mighty fine!" He licks his lips suggestively, and throws me an exaggerated sultry wink. I laugh in response, entertained by his antics. "What I would do to him!" he continues, and I squeal with laughter.

"Stop, stop! I don't want to hear anymore!" I laugh, clapping my hands over my ears. He grins cheekily in response. "So, it's mainly about the looks with your soulfinder then?"

"Yeah." He's so matter of fact that I wholeheartedly believe him. He pretends to think for a while. "Well, I suppose personality might matter a tad."

"Just a tad?" He's serious for a moment

"Okay, maybe a bit more than a tad" He says genuinely "But, I ain't gonna turn down a man with a smoking body!" He wiggles his eyebrows, and I roar with laughter. "Well, Alexis Anderson, you certainly look much better in real life than on your photo." So he'd been looking at my label as well as Dylan's.

I groan, "You saw that?" He grins cheekily back at me.

"It wasn't that bad! Anyway, you looking for a fitty today?"

"Fitty? I didn't realise people still used that! Nah, I'm hoping I don't find anyone today." He looked confused for a moment, opening his mouth to answer, when a man approached him, asking for directions. Once he'd answered him, he looked back at me.

"I'm Tyler, by the way"

"Well, I guess you already know my name!"

"Yeah, sorry- it's a bit of a bad habit, but I always like to see who I'll be sat next to at these things." I smiled.

"Don't worry about it. Have you been to many of these then?"

"Six, and I'm still looking for him. Hopefully I'll find him today! The inside circle moves clockwise, so I get to talk to whoever's just talked to you- so warn me if they're a weirdo!" I laugh.

"Sure thing. I'll cough if they're normal, and sneeze if they're a weirdo- it can be our secret code."

"Much appreciated" he said, saluting me as though we were in the army. I giggled, my anxieties fading from Tyler's distractions.

A tannoy then sounded over the arena: 'Ladies and gentlemen please take your seats. Matching will commence in 5 minutes." The nerves came back in full force. A full year of dread had led up to this moment, and the ordeal would begin in just 5 minutes. I took a few calming breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth, in through the nose, out through the mouth. I repeated this mantra in my head- a steady timbre that kept me sane. A chair leg scraped across the floor in front of me, and I looked up.

"Are you alright?" he asked me, slipping into the seat in front of me. I nodded, unable to talk at present.

"I'm Dylan." He held his hand out for me to shake.

"Alexis" I replied a couple of moments later, leaning over to shake his hand. When our skin touched I felt nothing. No sparks or electricity, no paranormal connection had been formed. He wasn't my soulfinder- I could tell that just from our handshake, telepathy wasn't even required in this case. I let out a sigh of relief. The tannoy started up again: "The matching has now begun. You have one minute until the bell. Good luck and happy matching."

And so, it began. The next hour was a whirlwind of activity, with me reluctantly making telepathic connections with so many people on the inside circle. Dylan, the hippy Australian, it turned out, wasn't Tyler's soulfinder, much to his disappointment. I'd never seen so many savants- I'd never known so many existed! There were Brits, Americans, Canadians, Frenchmen, Danish, Kiwis, Aussies, Chinese, Koreans- and some who spoke languages that I had never heard of. Needless to say, it was rather awkward trying to talk to someone when the only word you both knew was 'ok'. Most of the savants I spoke to, or attempted to speak to, seemed okay bar a few. It was just this one man- he seemed about 35ish, and he kept leering at me for the whole minute and asking me all sorts of odd questions. I was relieved when he moved on, despite the fact that I could feel his eyes on me for the rest of the hour. It was a minute before the first break, and everyone had just one last savant to talk to before the 15 minute interlude. The room was nearly empty now- so many matches had been made in the last hour. It was quite ridiculous, really! Tyler had already found his soulfinder in a quiet German called Josef, and they seemed truly happy together, for which I was glad.

I was isolated in this area of the circle- tables from where couples had found each other had been removed immediately after they left, and so I was now metres away from anyone. I drummed my fingers on the table top, looking forward to grabbing a snack before the next round of matching began. The bell had just rang, but it took the next person a few moments to walk to my desk now that much of the circle had been removed.

I looked up from the table top to see my next potential soulfinder sit down. I glanced up at him as he sat, and couldn't help but stare. He was gorgeous, with an olive skin tone and dark messy hair. He was more suited to the pages of a Hollister catalogue than sat here opposite me. His long limbs spilled over the chair- making it look positively child-sized. He gave me a broad grin, showcasing his impossibly white teeth and dimples. I saved his eyes until last, looking into them once I'd absorbed the rest of him. We gazed at each other, and it was as though time froze for a while. We were suspended in this moment together. The air crackled between us, humming with an electricity I couldn't describe. His hazel orbs bored into mine, and I stared back with the same fascination. His hand gently closed on mine, stopping my fingers from drumming out their rhythm on the table top. The instant his skin touched mine my skin was alight. The prickling sensation that I'd felt on the back of my neck for the past few days erupted- spreading like wildfire across my skin. I gasped in response, jerking back suddenly. His grin grew impossibly wider- and his eyes lit up with excitement.

"It's you!" he said, elated.

"What?"

"You. You're my soulfinder!" My heart fell to my feet, and my face morphed into an expression of horror. No. No, it couldn't be. I wouldn't let it be. He didn't let me expression deter him though, or perhaps he didn't register it. Instead, he ploughed on.

"I'm Will, Will Benedict. What's your name, beautiful?" his voice washed over me, a rich baritone that affected me in ways I couldn't describe. He leaned over and brushed a stray curl away from my eye, tucking it gently behind my ear. I couldn't respond. I was frozen. He was a Benedict. My soulfinder was a Benedict. The ones who took away my sister's soulfinder, and now he was here trying to find his own. I coughed, clearing my throat.

"I don't know what you mean." I said, lying through my teeth. He was my soulfinder, I knew it in my bones- it was ingrained in my DNA. But my mind overruled my heart. I didn't want a soulfinder. And, I definitely didn't want a Benedict. Accepting him would be the ultimate betrayal to my sister. His friendly demeanour was all a façade- he was just like the rest of his family underneath- a cold, heartless, merciless murderer.

"No, the connection we have! You must feel it! You're my soulfinder! Oh God, I've waited so long for you, and now you're here!" He reached over to brush his hand against my face, making to cup my cheek. I moved away.

"No. You're wrong. I didn't feel anything." His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and his face fell.

"You must have done? Not anything? Anything at all?" his eyes looked saddened, and it took everything in me to continue with the lie.

"Nope" I replied, not able to look him in the eye.

"Let me try telepathy. You'll feel it then." Before I could tell him not to, he looked right at me and tried it.

'_Hello'_ His voice battered through my mental shields, and was unlike anything I had experienced- a pure, melodic tone, infused with a lilting American drawl that only I could hear. My body hummed with recognition- he was my soulfinder. There was no doubt about it. I tried to keep my face impassive.

"No. Still nothing." I said, looking down at the table top, and inspecting my nails. He put his hand under my chin, tilting my head so that I was looking right at him.

"You're lying to me" he said sorrowfully. "I don't know why- I don't know what I've done to upset you, but I can tell that you feel it too." I shook my head furiously, pulling away from his light hold. "Okay, talk to me telepathically then. If I don't feel it then I'll believe you."

I opened my mouth to come up with some excuse- if I spoke to him he'd know without doubt that I was his soulfinder. The bell interrupted me, and the tannoy announced that it was time for the break. I stood abruptly.

"Well, look at that" I said, smiling brightly, and tucking my chair under the table. I grabbed my jacket, and bag. "Time's up. It was nice meeting you Will. Good luck finding your soulfinder." Without waiting for a response, I turned and speed walked towards the nearest exit. I heard his chair clatter to the floor as he followed me, jogging a couple of paces to catch me. He caught my wrist in his hand, and turned me to face him. We were chest to chest, our torsos touching. I was tiny in comparison to him- my head barely reaching the top of his shoulder. He smelt divine, a woodsy, musky scent that reminded me of the outdoors. I had to physically restrain myself from burying my nose in his shirt and inhaling deeply. He wrapped his muscled arms around me, preventing me from moving.

"You're not going anywhere until you've spoken to me telepathically." He tilted his face, so that we were looking directly at one another- our noses nearly touching. I opened my mouth to argue, but he pressed his thumb gently over my lips to prevent me from talking. "These are the rules of the conference- both of the participants must talk telepathically to the other. I can get a member of security to explain the rules to you?" He offered, twisting me so that I could see the burly security guard, who was eyeing our display with amusement.

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, darling, I most definitely would. You're way too precious to let go." His eyes were earnest and soft, indicating a kindness beneath this hard approach. He pressed his forehead to mine, bringing us impossibly closer.

"Fine" I whispered murderously, my eyes blazing with hatred. I'd talk to him, he'd realise, and then I'd shake him off. He wouldn't be able to find me, and I wouldn't come to another convention. I wasn't about to let any soulfinder walk into my life- especially not a Benedict.

'_You're a dick'_ I spoke telepathically to him. His reaction was immediate. He laughed beautifully, and then proceeded to pick me up in his arms, hugging me tightly to him, and spinning me round as though I was a rag doll. He set me down gently, encasing me in his arms, before pulling back to look at me.

"It's you! It's definitely you!" he yelled, delighted. He cupped my face in both of his large palms, and gazed at me with an expression of wonder. "I can't wait to start our life together!"

**Review? If I hit 75 reviews I'll upload chapter 10 tonight as it's already written :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Challenging Alexis hit 75 (and a bit more) so here is, as promised, chapter 10. Thank you to everyone that reviewed! I'm so grateful to each and every one of you! :) Anywhoo, I hope you enjoy. This chapter, I think, is my favourite one so far, so I hope you like it too!**

Will took my hand, lacing our fingers together, and led us towards the 'mingling area' that had been mentioned in the video, so that we could 'get to know each other'. Ick. I had no intention of getting to know him- I knew exactly what he, and his family were like. I yanked my hand out of his hold- his presumptuous attitude was irritating. We weren't going to get together immediately- or ever, and he needed to accept that right now!

His face looked anguished as I extricated myself from his hold- storming off ahead of him in the hope of losing him in the crowd. I may have looked like a stubborn, spoilt child, but I didn't care. The sooner I could ditch him the better. Unfortunately, he caught up with me far too quickly- his long strides easily catching mine. Gingerly, he rested the palm of his hand on the small of my back, gently guiding me forward. I shot him a glare, and he smiled back angelically.

"Drinks are this way." He said, steering me through the crowd of savants towards the drinks stand. I didn't reply. The crowd was thick and we were pressed tightly against one another. I could just about make out the stand beyond the sea of bodies, but getting to it was an impossibility. Will could also see this, and he turned to look at me.

"I'll get the drinks. You stay here. Right here- don't move, I'll be right back." His hands lingered on my back for a while, as if unable to let me go. He turned towards the table, glancing back every so often to check that I'd obeyed his instructions. Like I was seriously going to let this chance of escaping pass me by? As soon as he turned back to face the table I made my move. Forcing my way through the crowd I began to move towards the nearest exit, but it was slow progress. I could hear his anxious voice behind me, but I didn't stop.

"Hey! Stop, wait!"

I kept my head down and carried on walking. He'd lose me easily in the crowd. A man tapped me on the arm and I turned to look at him.

"Miss, I think that man's shouting you." He pointed at the hulking giant walking towards me. The crowd parted easily as he passed- gazing at him as though he was some sort of deity. I gulped as he drew nearer. The crowd was thinner here, and I knew that with his muscular physique that he could, and would, catch me easily. The opportunity had passed. Damnit!

"What happened to 'stay right there'?" he asked, upset. His tone was tinged with an underlying annoyance. I shrugged- I didn't have an answer. Well, I did. I was trying to evade him, but if I told him that he definitely wouldn't let me out of his sight- not that he let me out of his sight now. He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated at me. I obviously didn't possess the attitude he was expecting his soulfinder to have.

"Look, I know we started off on the wrong foot, but I was wondering if we could start again?" His eyes were pleading, and I found myself nodding before I could stop myself. He smiled in response, handing me a drink that he'd grabbed from the stand.

"Where's yours?" I asked, taking the plastic cup from him and sipping it quickly.

"I was just about to grab one for myself when I looked over and saw my soulfinder moving away from where I told her specifically to wait from me." He looked at me disapprovingly, and I averted my gaze. "I was too busy chasing after her to care about a drink. I'm not about to let you slip through my fingers." I kept my eyes on the floor.

"Sorry" I muttered, attempting, and consequently failing, to sound sincere. Really I was only sorry that I hadn't been quite quick enough to lose him.

"Forget about it." He said. "We're starting over." He smiled, and then put on his cheeriest grin. "Hi, I'm Will Benedict." He held out his hand, and looked at me- indicating with his eyes that I was to go next, and should introduce myself. Like I was going to do that! He wasn't getting any details about me- I was having nothing to do with him.

"I'm Mary… Smith. Yes, Mary Smith." I said, using the first name that popped into my head. Mary? I internally groaned. I could pick any name, and I went for Mary? I couldn't have made myself sound more like a Grandma if I'd tried. He grinned at me.

"Well Mary, my middle name's Joseph- so we're clearly meant to be together."

Kill me now. It was all I could do to stop myself from pretending to barf. Mary and Joseph? Seriously? Who incorporates the Bible into their pick-up lines? He carried on, ignoring my lack of amusement at his comment.

"So, Mary, where are you from"

"New Zealand" I replied, feigning nonchalance. I took another sip of my drink.

"You don't sound like a Kiwi." He raised his eyebrows, confused. I didn't respond to his silent question. "Well, I'm from Colorado in the United States of America." His chest puffed up as he said it, proud of his heritage.

"That's nice" I say blandly, staring at an incident occurring over his left shoulder. He moved so that he was in my eye line, blocking my view.

"So what part of New Zealand are you from then?"

"Sydney" I said without skipping a beat.

"Really? I though Sydney was part of Australia." Shit. I was so busted.

"Listen" I paused, pretending to forget his name.

"Will" he interjected to fill the gap. His face fell, and I could tell that he was hurt I'd forgotten it.

"Yes, Bill-"

"It's Will." He interrupted- angry.

"Right. Whatever. Listen, we can't be together because-" I stopped. I didn't have an excuse that he'd approve of, and I wasn't about to admit that I knew what he'd done to Alice. If I did that then he'd be able to find me.

"Because what?" he asked, concerned.

"Because I'm a lesbian." I blurted out before I could stop myself. He stared at me for a moment, blown away by this surprise admission.

"What?" he squealed. I didn't know a male could produce such a high pitched sound.

"Yep. Mary the lesbian- that's me" I said, laughing awkwardly and swinging my arms. I was such an embarrassment to myself- there was no way I could ever be an actress. My lie was so badly acted that it wasn't even remotely believable. I tried to rectify the situation. "See that woman over there?" I asked, pointing to a small, middle-aged woman who was taking far too much interest in our interactions. She'd been glancing at us the entire time we'd been talking.

"Yeah" he replied, following where my finger was pointing.

"She is smoking! I'm going to go and ask for her number." He laughed awkwardly, rubbing his hand along his collarbone and underneath the collar of his unbuttoned plaid shirt.

"What? Are you homophobic or something?" If he was, that gave me yet another reason to hate him. I'd need a list at this rate.

"No." he said, refusing to meet my face. "I'm not homophobic at all. It's just that…"

"That what?"

"That the woman you have a crush on is my Mom." My face flushed bright red, and the plastic cup slipped through my fingers. No wonder she'd been paying so much attention to us- she wanted to see who her son's soulfinder was.

"Right" I squeaked.

"Yeah, she's been happily married to my Dad, who is her soulfinder, for over thirty years. Besides, I can tell you're lying- I just don't know why. Am I that repulsive?"

"What? No I'm not."

"Yes you are- I can tell. It's a thing between soulfinders- I know when you're lying to me." He looked at me, and I squirmed guiltily under his gaze.

"Right. Well, I need to go to the toilet now, so-" He grabbed my arm before I could move.

"No. Don't even think about it- I don't trust that you'll come back. Besides, don't you think I know that the toilets are right next to the exit?" I shook his arm off me. Cripes- evading him was going to be much tougher than I thought. He was so annoyingly persistent. Well, there was only one thing for it.

Now, I hated using my power. Yeah, it sounded great on paper, but when you thought about it, it was just plain wrong to force people to do things against their will. With me it was even worse, because I could make it so the victim had no recollection of me telling them to do it. I hardly ever used my power, and I was determined to keep it that way. But today… today was an exception. Closing my eyes I tried to enter his mind, to tell him to let me go. Unfortunately his shields were too strong- like thick lead walls, which I had no way of forcing myself through. He felt my attack, despite my attempts to be subtle.

"Hey! What are you doing?" He asked, with a slight hint of betrayal.

I needed to catch him off guard. If his shields dropped for just a split second then I could enter his mind, give him the command, and I could leave. Forever. I could return back to my life, and forget this horrible mess ever happened. I wouldn't feel guilty, I told myself. No, I wouldn't feel guilty for telling him a pack of lies, and running, even though it was a cowardly thing to do. Soulfinders weren't all that great anyway- he'd be fine without me. Anyway, why did I care? He was a Benedict- he didn't deserve any of my sympathy.

"Mary, what are you doing?" he pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead as I to try and physically prevent my mental attack. I smiled up at him innocently. I needed to do something unexpected, to catch him unaware and cause his shields to drop.

"This" I replied, grabbing the collar of his check shirt and pulling his lips to mine. He was shocked for a moment- his lips unresponsive against mine, before he began kissing me back with fervour, wrapping his arms around me tightly.

And that was all it took. The unexpectedness of my actions caused his shields to drop momentarily, and that was all I needed. I was in.

'_Let me go. Do not follow me. Forget I told you this.'_

The command took root in his mind. Satisfied it had stuck, I pulled my back from him, breathless. His arms dropped from my waist, and fell to his sides.

"Right Phil, I'm going to go to the loo now."

He nodded at me, dazed. His eyes were glazed over- that happened when I used my power on people, and it made me feel sick. I hated knowing that I could do that to someone. But this was different, it had to be done. Turning, I hightailed it towards the toilets, the exit, and my freedom.

**Review? They make me update faster :P**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you to my reviewers! This chapter's for you guys :) Hope you enjoy!**

Moving towards the exit I had to physically restrain myself from breaking into a run. Freedom was so close, yet it had never felt so far away. I didn't dare look back as I scuttled forward- I was petrified that I'd find Will chasing after me, even though it was impossible for someone to break one of my commands. People had tried, but they were iron-clad, and totally unbreakable. I kept my head down as I moved through the crowd. The tannoy sounded, saying that the next round of matching would begin, and so all that were left in the room were savants who had just found their soulfinders. Thankfully, this meant that they were so blissfully happy and wrapped up in one another that they didn't notice me brush past them.

Reaching the exit I barrelled through the double doors and found myself in the foyer I'd registered in earlier this morning. There were helpers with giant buckets full of donation money, and they were trying to collect more. A guy close to the doors shook his, the coins jangling around obnoxiously as his arm flexed, trying to catch my attention.

"Donations to help fund next year's convention. Every little helps Ma'am."

"Sorry, I haven't got any change" I lied, walking past him. Like I was going to donate any of my money to help this tradition continue. If it hadn't been for the convention I wouldn't be in this mess. I could only hope that the Net went bust, and no other conventions were ever held.

"Okay, no worries" he shouted cheerfully at my retreating figure. "Just don't forget to sign out Miss". Drat. I'd forgotten about that mandatory part of the convention. All savants were required to sign out after the convention was completed, to get you to update your contact details, and most importantly your relationship status. Soulfinders could sign out, and therefore take themselves off the list. Those who hadn't met their match then signed out and remained on the list for the next year. Unfortunately, I couldn't follow proper protocol. If I said that I hadn't found my soulfinder, then I wouldn't be allowed to leave. The rules stated that unmatched savants had to stay until all matching was complete to ensure that a match hadn't been missed, and I couldn't say I'd found my soulfinder because leaving without them was unheard of, and would raise too much suspicion. The signing out section was similar to the checkout section of a supermarket. There was a great row of desks manned by the helpers, and you had to pass through one to make it to the exit on the other side.

Now, I could easily use my power on a helper when I got to a desk. I could get them to think that they'd filled out my forms, so that I could escape without raising suspicion, but I'd already used my power once today, and once was enough. I didn't use my power lightly- I tried to refrain from using it at all. It felt wrong. So, instead I opted for the traditional method. I bolted.

Clasping my bag over my shoulder I propelled myself forward- launching myself into a full-out sprint. I raced through the gap in the barricade of wooden desks, and tore down the stone steps that I'd queued up earlier. I heard a commotion behind me, someone yelling at me to stop. But I didn't. I didn't dare look back. Instead, I concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. My feet pounded on the slabs, and I thanked my lucky stars that Alice hadn't forbidden me from wearing my converse. They made for the perfect getaway shoe, so sometimes casual was the way forward.

Shit. Alice! In my panic I'd totally forgotten about my baby sister. I'd reached the bottom of the steps now, and no one had followed me, so I settled for a fast walk back to the hotel. I was looking forward to lying on that massive bed and watching films before I had to leave for the airport. I opened my mind link to Alice, waiting to hear from her. It was much easier and quicker than phoning her. I needed to know if she was okay.

"_Alice?"_ I asked. There was silence.

"_Alice? Alice, are you there?"_ I called frantically, pausing mid-stride and debating whether or not I should turn and run back for her. I could take down the Benedict family. Okay, even I had to admit that that would be nearly impossible. Oh God! Why did I let her go with the Benedict's on her own? I shouldn't have let her- I should have insisted on going with her, despite what she wanted! I stood still on the pavement, the bustling commuters passing me by, and shooting me bemused glances at my stoic figure.

"_Alexis"_ she replied, but I could sense that she was crying through the link.

"_Alice, are you okay? What's wrong? Did they hurt you? I swear to God I'll kill them if they laid so much as a finger on you!_" I growled.

"_No, no Alexis. I'm fine. No, I'm better than fine. I'm wonderful, amazing, ecstatic, over the moon!" _She crowed with delight. Well, this was a marked change from the depressed Alice that I'd known over the past year. I moved to the edge of the pavement, perching on a high wall that ran alongside it.

"_What do you mean, Alice?"_

"_Oh, Alexis- the Benedict's didn't mean to kill Dragon. Yves' fire was meant to drive Dragon out. His death was totally unintentional- they thought he'd escaped the fire!"_

"_Are you sure, Alice?"_ I asked. I, for one, was not at all convinced. They could have just spun Alice a web of lies to conceal their true nature.

"_Yeah, one hundred percent- they showed me what happened. They have this thing they do when they're all together- they sort of channel all their powers together somehow, and I saw Yves' memories. They weren't lying- I could tell because Sky had her power on the whole time, you know, that girl at security? So, yeah, it was an accident. And Yves felt awful. Phee too."_

"_Oh"_ I replied. I wasn't sure how to respond to the news that the family I'd hated with every fibre of my being wasn't actually evil. Not to mention the fact that my soulfinder then wasn't unquestionably wicked. Well that certainly threw a spanner in the works. Not that it mattered anyway. I'd made the right call. My soulfinder could have been Prince Charming, and I would have still taken the same course of action.

"_And there's more, Lex!"_ Alice shrieked happily in my mind. _"I've got a soulfinder!"_

"_What? That's not possible, Alice. We only get one- that's the whole point of soulfinders. Dragon was your soulfinder, wasn't he?"_

"_I know, Lex"_ she squealed, delighted. _"But I've been given a second chance. I've got another soulfinder!"_

"_Alice, I know losing Dragon was hard, but you can't delude yourself into thinking that you get another soulfinder."_

"_Lex, I'm not delusional. It's real. The Benedict's told me. I didn't believe them at first, but now I know it's true! Crystal examined me- she's Xav Benedict's girlfriend, and she's a soulseeker."_ I knew exactly what a soulseeker was- they were revered amongst our kind. _"She looked at my mind when I was seeing what happened in the fire, and she said she could sense a soulfinder connection- that she could see the severed connection between Dragon and I, but then she saw a new, more powerful connection. She said he's somewhere in Canada, and that he's my soulfinder! I don't know how it's possible, but I'm so happy, Lex! Dragon wanted me to be happy, that was his final wish, and fate has one that. Fate has given me another shot at happiness!"_

I was flabbergasted. A second soulfinder was unheard of. But, it was brilliant! Alice hadn't been herself since Dragon's passing, and although she had improved since his death maybe this would be what she needed to fully recover, and return to the happy, bubbly Alice that we all remembered.

"_Oh, Alice! I'm thrilled for you! That's brilliant, fantastic! I can't even-"_

"_Yes, I know!"_ she replied giddily. _"I've been so lucky! Anyway, enough about me, what about you? How is he?"_

"_How do you know I've found him?"_

"_Alexis, we both know my visions are never wrong."_

I knew all about that. _"Yeah, I found him."_

"_And? So, where are you both? I want to come and meet my future brother-in-law!"_

"_He's at the convention."_

"_Okay, I'll come and meet you both. Just tell me where you're stood."_

"_Well, that's the problem. I… err, I'm outside the convention."_

"_Why are you there? Why is he not with you?"_ I don't reply. _"Alexis, please tell me you didn't!"_ I remained silent_. "Alexis! You've ran off, haven't you? How could you, Lex? The poor man! He must be distraught. And you promised me, Lex. You promised me that you'd give it a try!"_

"_I'm sorry, Alice. I'm sorry, but I don't want a soulfinder! I know you do, but you and I are different. I don't want to be forced into this. I'm sorry I've upset you, but I had to do it. Besides, he's a Benedict. I didn't know they were innocent."_

"_Well, now that you know he's not evil you can go and give him a chance. Or, at least tell him the truth- he at least deserves that. Don't run away like a coward- that's not you. Anyway, how did you run off without him? The Benedict's believe strongly in soulfinders, he wouldn't have just let you go."_ I waited for her to think about it. She'd quickly reach the answer without me telling her. She gasped.

"_You didn't. Tell me you didn't use your power!"_

"_It's all I could do, Alice! He was so persistent, and I just wanted him to let me go home. I know it was the wrong thing to do- I hardly ever use my power, but this time it was necessary."_

"_Oh, Lex"_ she said softly_. "The poor guy!"_ Mid-way through Alice's sentence I could feel the command I'd given Will beginning to slip, he was shrugging it off.

"_Alice, he's breaking the command! How can he do that? No one can do that!"_ I said, panicked. With my gift I was able to see the state of the command, and lift it if I wished, from wherever I was. It was just when I issued them that I had to be within a few metres of the victim. I felt the command shatter- Will was no longer bound by me- he was no longer under my control.

"_Alice"_ I whispered, frightened. _"Alice, the command's gone. He's broken it. How can he do that_?" Now there was nothing to stop him coming after me.

"_It must be a soulfinder thing, Lex. He's immune to your powers."_ Then, I felt him breach my mental shield and enter my mind.

"_Mary?"_ he sounded confused- he hadn't realised what had happened yet. I raised my mental barriers- blocking him out. He shouldn't have been able to breach my walls in the first place, but strengthening them was the only defence I had against him.

"_He's gonna follow you, you know?"_ Alice said. _"Benedict's are persistent. He won't let you go so easily."_

I could sense Will's realisation at what I'd done to him through our link. Betrayal, anger and hurt smashed through me. The emotions were so strong that it was as though someone had taken a sword, and ran it straight through me. But then, I felt a much stronger emotion: determination. He'd made his mind up about something, and nothing was going to stop him.

"_Alice, I'm going home."_

"_What? You can't, your flight doesn't leave until this evening, and it's only 12 now!"_

"_I'll get the Eurostar. You can buy tickets when you get there. I've got to get out of here."_

"_You can't run forever, Lex."_

"_I know. But I've got to try."_

**Well, how could I not give Alice a happy ending (or is it?)?! Please leave a review! I'm looking for a male name for Alice's soulfinder, so please leave a suggestion in your review, and I might use it :) **

**If I get 95 reviews I'll write another chapter tomorrow. If I get 100 reviews I'll write a chapter tomorrow, and a chapter from Will's POV.**

**Hope you enjoyed! Read, review and follow please! :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you so very much to all of my reviewers! You guys are incredible- I can't believe I've got over a hundred reviews! Yay! Here's chapter 12, as promised. Will's POV is available, so please say if you'd like to read it in a review/ PM me, and I will send it to you (this story is going to be only written from Alexis' POV, and Will's account of events will be uploaded once I've finished the story as outtakes.) Please be patient- I'll try to send out Will's POV as quickly as I can, but my Wi-fi's been playing up recently, so it could take a while. Sorry!**

**Also, thank you to all of you who have suggested names for Alice's SF. They are much better than any I could have come up with, and I have a couple that I really, really like, and I'll definitely be using one of them. Please, if you have any other ideas, send them to me as your suggestions have been so good so far, and I've got some other characters planned that I'll need names for. I won't say any more than that because I don't want to spoil anything :)**

**Sorry for the ramble! Anyway, I hope you enjoy! **

Jumping from the bench I began to speed walk towards the hotel, breaking my connection with Alice. Will was still administering a mental attack on my shields- trying to break through and talk to me, but for now they held strong. Keeping them up was sapping my energy, but I had to be strong. I couldn't let him in. The tingling sensation I felt when I was around Will had now lessened significantly upon entering the hotel's lobby, which was comforting. At least now I knew he wasn't nearby. Hopefully I'd never feel it again, then I could quite happily pretend today never happened as I'd be left with no physical reminders of my time in Paris.

Hopping into the first empty lift compartment I made my way to my hotel room. With shaky hands I slid the card into the lock, and walked in. I needed to get out of here- it wasn't safe to stay, and I knew my shields wouldn't hold for much longer. Pulling my suitcase onto the bed I began to pack, cramming everything back in, with no care. My toothbrush was chucked in alongside my pyjamas, and my clothes shoved in on top. I'd look forward to washing and ironing that lot when I got home. Glancing to see that I hadn't missed anything, I hurriedly yanked the zip until it closed, padlocking it for security, and wheeling it out behind me. The door shut with a bang behind me, and I jogged to the elevator to go downstairs and check out. My body was humming with a nervous energy- Will was mad when I moved from the drinks stand, if he ever found me I didn't want to know how angry he'd be that I'd travelled hundreds of miles to escape from him. I was scared, especially now I knew that my power didn't work on him- I was defenceless against him, totally at his mercy. As I stepped into the lift my phone rang and I answered it.

"Lex, just to give you some warning- I've just seen a majorly pissed off man, fitting the description of Will Benedict, leave the convention in the direction of your hotel."

I froze for a second, my hand hovering over the lift's buttons. How had he come after me so quickly? I'd barely left ten minutes ago. My heart pounded, and I felt the blood drain from my face. I snapped out of it, punching the button for my floor. Now wasn't the time to panic- I had to stay calm to get out of here.

"You there, Lex?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, sorry- I was just a bit shocked. Thanks for the warning Alice. I'll text you when I'm on the train."

"You should give him a chance, Lex. But I won't lecture you anymore, it's your call. Make sure you text me- I want to know you're safe."

"I will, don't worry. I'll see you soon. Love you."

"Love you too, Lex." And she hung up. I dropped my phone back into my bag as the lift doors pinged open. Striding out I dropped my key onto the reception desk. I didn't have time to fill out the appropriate paperwork. The tingling sensation was growing the longer I stayed here, which meant that Will was nearby. Shit. I ran out of the lobby, and looked for a cab. Thankfully an elderly couple were just exiting one, and so I managed to grab it. I chucked my bag in the boot, and hopped in.

"Eurostar terminal si vous plait Monsieur." I said. The tingling on my neck had increased tenfold, and it had become harder to shield my mind from Will's attempts to talk to me telepathically. My forehead was wet with perspiration- I was barely keeping him at bay. The driver nodded at me, and pulled away from the curb. Looking round I saw Will running towards me, his eyes were filled with a steely determination, and I shrank back in response. Our eyes met, although I knew that with the blackout rear windows of cab that he couldn't actually see me. He seemed to stare right through me, running past me and into the hotel lobby. I breathed a sigh of relief as the taxi moved into the flow of traffic. Turning, I looked out of the rear window and saw Will run out of the hotel, frantically scanning the traffic for something. Careering round a bend in the road Will disappeared from sight. I slouched in my seat, letting the tension drain from my body. I'd escaped. The further we moved, the weaker the tingling sensation, and Will's telekinetic force became. I'd actually done it! I was free!

XXX

The taxi driver dropped me off just outside the terminal, and I wandered in, tugging my suitcase behind me. It was nice and cool inside, which gave me some much needed relief from the soaring Parisian temperatures. Buying a ticket for a train that departed in half an hour, I sauntered through the departures lounge and picked up lunch for myself. At just over €300 the ticket to London had been pricier than I had expected, but I figured it was better than running into Will again. I texted Alice to let her know that I was safe, and then rang my parents. I'd forgotten to call them once I'd landed in Paris, and after a mini lecture from my father about how they'd been worried sick, they finally asked me about the convention. Now, I didn't really want to admit to my parents that I'd found my soulfinder, and was hoping never to see him again- they'd be angrier than Will if I admitted that. So, instead I lied, telling them that I hadn't met my soulfinder, and feigned a forlorn tone. They seemed to buy it, and I had to listen to them expressing their sympathies for ten minutes, which made me feel even guiltier for lying to them. Finally, they let me go, and I boarded my train.

Climbing aboard half an hour after buying my ticket, I stowed away my luggage and found myself a secluded spot in one of the emptiest carriages. I grabbed my phone, plugged in my headphones, and tried to forget about everything that had happened today. Try being the most important verb in that sentence. However much I tried to forget about Will, he just plagued my mind- I couldn't get rid of him! The further away from Paris I got, the weaker our bond became. By the time I reached London I barely needed to keep up my mental shields. The journey passed relatively quickly. From London I managed to catch a train to Rugby, where I transferred to Derby. It was an exhausting journey- the plane ride was definitely less stressful- there was no dashing for changeovers, or rushing to find a seat. But, I got home in the end, and that was what mattered. From the train station I took a taxi home, and rang Jack and Savannah to collect Monty. I'd missed my little furry friend terribly, and I wanted to see if he'd recovered from his injury. It didn't feel like home until Monty was with me.

Jack and Savannah lived in a beautiful little cottage in one of the most remote parts of Derbyshire. It took me about 25 minutes to get there from my flat via the thin country lanes that made Derbyshire so beautiful. I pulled up, and stretched my legs. Walking up their driveway I knocked on the door, and waited for a response. The door opened, and Monty came scampering out. He leapt on me, taking me by surprise, and knocking me over. I laughed happily, as he crawled along my torso and started licking my face. Scooping him up into my arms I stood up, and looked at Jack.

"You don't have to talk about the convention, Lex. I know it must have been hard enough talking to Mum and Dad about it." He scratched Monty's ears playfully. He was right. It was hard talking to Mum and Dad, but not for the reasons he was thinking of. It was hard to lie to them about my soulfinder, rather than being hard to talk to them about it because I was so consumed with grief that I hadn't found my soulfinder. I didn't reply- I was a terrible liar, and I didn't want Jack to suspect something. Only Alice knew the truth, and I was determined to keep it that way.

"Thanks. Anyway, did Mont behave himself? Thanks so much for looking after him Jack- I was so glad I didn't have to put him in the Kennels. How is he?"

"He was his usual cheerful self, Lex. He's still not quite a hundred percent, but he's close." I grinned, cuddling Monty to my chest. We exchanged goodbyes, and pleasantries before I set off home, Monty occupying his rightful place in the passenger seat. By the time I reached the flat, it was nearly seven, and I was exhausted. Too tired to do anything more than crawl into bed and sleep, I dropped Monty on his bed and headed to my room. I was just about to slip under the covers when my phone rang.

"Hello" I yawned sleepily down the line.

"Hey, Alexis it's me, Sam." His voice sounded worried, and tense. I sat up straight, rubbing my eyes blearily.

"Hey Sam, what's up?"

"Look, I know it sounds like a big ask, but I was just wondering if I could come and talk to you for a while, my flight's just landed. I found my soulfinder at the convention and I don't know what to do. You're the only one who understands where I'm coming from. I'm sorry for barging in on you-"

I cut him off mid-way through his frantic explanation. "It's fine Sam, that's what friends are for. Come over when you want." I reeled off my address to him, and said my goodbyes.

Sighing, I looked over at Monty who was fast asleep in his bed. How I envied him. I wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight- Sam sounded really wound up. I made my way to the kitchen- a caffeine fix was the only way I could stay awake for the rest of this evening.

**Please leave a review :) Remember to mention/ PM me if you want to read Will's POV, and I'll send it to you :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Firstly, apologies for the wait! I fell off my bike, and scraped all the skin off my right hand (ick), and then it got infected, so now I can only type with my left :/ Then, I was so anxious about Result's Day that I couldn't write, even if I wanted to. However, by some miracle/divine intervention, I unbelievably managed to get into Uni (yay!), and have since been on work experience for the past week from 8-6 every day, so have had no time to write! :/ Anyway I'm going to be trying to upload as much of this story as I can before I go to Uni as I doubt I'll have time to write once I'm there. Please be patient with me- everything's a bit frantic at the moment! This isn't my best or longest chapter, but I thought I'd best upload something ASAP!**

**IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING WILL'S POV: If I haven't messaged you Will's POV it's because you have not activated the private messaging feature, so I physically can't send the chapters to you- sorry! If this applies to you, please change this feature and I'll message you these chapters ASAP. **

**So, without further ado, here is chapter 13- I have imagined writing this chapter ever since I decided to write a FS fanfic! **

**Disclaimer- This universe all belongs to J. Stirling **** (If I had written this series I would never have called one of the main characters 'Diamond' :P). However, Alexis et al all belong to me- so don't steal her, or any of her companions! **

Wandering to the kitchen I boiled the kettle, and set about making myself a much required caffeine fix. A strong, black coffee was my beverage of choice, and I set about grabbing the appropriate implements, humming as I went. Whilst I waited for it to boil I nipped into my room to get changed into some warm, slouchy clothing, comprising of leggings and a massive hoody that I'd robbed from Jack. Hey! Don't judge me- it was way too snuggly to resist, even though it was his old rugby one. He hadn't noticed it was missing yet, and I was hoping to keep it that way!

Sam had texted to say that he was about 20 minutes away, having already left the airport. He'd left his car there whilst he was in Paris, so was able to drive to my flat as soon as he'd landed and passed through security. In the meantime, I was frantically charging round my rather messy flat, trying to make it look somewhat presentable. It wasn't that I was an unclean person- far from it! My flat always had to be immaculately clean. My problem was that I always seemed to leave things lying around, and never tidied them away. Not to mention the fact that Monty seemed to take great delight in scattering his toys all over the place, and enjoyed watching me find where he'd so ingeniously hidden them. Needless to say, I didn't enjoy this ritual as much as he did.

The doorbell rang half an hour later, whilst I was still trying to tidy up. Glancing over my apartment, I figured it didn't look so bad… Well, not so bad if you ignored the pile of ironing in the corner, my mail strewn across the kitchen worktops, and piles of marking dotted on any available flat surface. My flat, unfortunately, was designed so that it was nearly all open-plan (apart from the bedrooms, and the bathroom), which meant that all of my clutter was on show for anyone who came to visit. Cradling my cup of hot coffee I turned to answer the door, and was met with a very stressed looking Sam.

"You okay?" I asked, concerned, taking in his haggard appearance. I rested my hip against the door and took a sip of my coffee whilst I waited for his response.

"Yeah- I'll be okay. Sorry for dropping in on you like this. I'm so glad that you agreed to talk to me- I wouldn't have asked at such short notice, but you're the only savant I know that understands."

"Sam, it's not a problem- this is what friends are for. Come in, you must be knackered after the journey."

I pull the door open wider, and usher him in, gesturing that he should take a seat on the sofa in the lounge. He walked in, and moved to the sofa, dropping his bag and sinking into the mound of cushions.

"You want a drink?" I ask, placing my mug on the table and moving towards the kitchen. "I've got tea, coffee, hot chocolate, coke, water, squash…" I look at him enquiringly. "Oh, and sorry about the mess I haven't finished clearing up yet."

"A glass of water would be great, thanks." He says. I nod in response, busying myself by going to fetch it. Whilst I rummage through the cupboards I broach the subject of his visit.

"So you met her, then?"

"Yeah. She's called Elinor, and she's from Edinburgh. The convention was nearly finished when we got matched- I thought I'd gotten away with it."

I find a glass, and fill it up from the tap as he speaks.

"So what's she like?"

"Amazing. That's the problem. It was so different to what I was expecting- the connection between us was much stronger than I'd ever anticipated."

I brought the glass over, handing it to him, before I took my seat on the adjacent armchair.

"Did you like her?"

"Yeah, a hell of a lot. That's the issue."

"So, what did you do? Did you tell her about Catherine?" He cast his eyes downward, mulling over my question. He'd seen so sure of himself in the airport- so convinced that even if he found his soulfinder that she'd be nothing to Catherine, that nothing and nobody could make him change his feelings for her. But now… well. Well, now he was like a different person- no longer doubting the mystical connection between soulfinders.

"Yeah, I told her. It was awful, Lex- her eyes were welling up with tears, and her face just fell. It was like a whole chunk of me was just ripped out- as though I could actually, physically feel her pain. She'd waited for me, she just imagined that we'd get together, and walk off into the sunset together to live happily ever after. She never banked on me not waiting for her. Shit! This whole situation is such a mess!" He tugged fruitlessly at a loose thread on his jeans, yanking it roughly- channelling his frustrations at an inanimate object. I laid my hand on his arm, stopping his movement.

"Sam, look at me." He met my gaze. "It's all gonna work itself out. Have you got her contact details?"

He nodded. "Right, well then all isn't lost. Look, Sam, you're shattered, and we aren't going to get any further with this tonight. How about I order some pizza, you have a shower and then we watch a film and go to bed? You can stop in the spare room- it's best to sleep on it before you make any decisions. Besides, it's probably best that you don't face Catherine tonight- you've got too much going on."

"Lex, I can't impose on you like that! I've already been enough of a nuisance-"

"Sam" I interrupted. "I'm not taking no for an answer!" I grabbed the Domino's pizza menu from the cabinet by the sofa and handed it to him. "Pizza's one of the best comfort foods. Choose whatever you want, and I'll order it whilst you shower. I'll lay out some towels in the bathroom. We can talk some more while we eat." I turned to move, but Sam grabbed my forearm lightly.

"Thanks, Lex. For everything."

"You're welcome" I say with a soft smile, and with that I turn towards the bathroom, with Sam trailing after me.

XXX

I ordered the pizzas whilst Sam was in the shower. We'd gone for a Cheese and Tomato, and a Pepperoni , which was due to arrive within the next half hour. It couldn't come quick enough- I was absolutely starving! I hadn't really eaten all day, and now I was really feeling it. Right now I was rummaging through my film rack for something to watch while we ate. Normally I was a chick flick kinda girl, but I had a feeling that Sam would not share my enthusiasm for that kind of film genre. The back of my neck kept flaring up, like it had done earlier, but I was doing my very best to ignore it- despite how annoying it was. I was just deciding between 'Hot Fuzz' and 'The Shawshank Redemption' when the doorbell rang. I looked at the clock in disbelief- I'd only placed my order 15 minutes ago, delivery was never usually this fast! The doorbell shrilled again- the impatient pizza delivery boy was keeping his hand pressed down on the buzzer.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming!" I shouted, grabbing my purse and walking to the door. Fumbling through my purse for some cash I opened the door without seeing who it was. Boy, was that I mistake.

"Sorry, how much is it?" I asked, looking up at last, expecting to see Tom, the teenage who normally delivered my pizzas. Except, this was no spotty teenage pizza delivery boy. I gulped, taking in his appearance.

"Hello, Mary. Or should I call you Alexis?" Shit. I was so screwed.

**Haha! How are we liking Will's surprise appearance? Hehe- I've been planning this encounter from the beginning! **

**Please leave a review! Constructive criticism is welcomed! If I hit 125 reviews then I'll update this tonight :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you to all who reviewed! You guys are awesome! :D**

**Apologies for the wait- this chapter was much more difficult to write than I thought, so I didn't have enough time to upload yesterday, and broke my promise (sorry)! But, to make up for it I'm going to try and write the next Will's POV (which will be my third chapter from Will's POV) , and update chapter 15 ASAP :)!**

I gasped, and moved to shut the door, but he stuck his foot in the doorjamb, resting his forearm against the wood and preventing me from closing it. He exerted pressure on the door and it gave way- flying open and crashing against the wall. I jumped back, frightened both at the noise, and the steely determination shining in his eyes. I stumbled backwards as he moved towards me- entering the flat without my consent. He advanced stealthily, each footprint sure and steady as I backed further into the room- the hungry, domineering lion preparing to pounce on the quaking gazelle.

The back of my legs hit the lip of the armchair, and I collapsed onto it, curling up into a ball in order to cower away from the cool rage of my soulfinder. He approached me slowly, his steps calculated. He took a seat on the coffee table so that I was directly opposite him, and there was no chance of escape. He rested his hands on the arms of the chair- physically fencing me in.

"So, Alexis or Mary, which do you prefer?"

"Alexis" I managed to stutter, not able to meet his accusatory gaze. I saw him nod out of the corner of my eye.

"And just what part of New Zealand did you say you were from, Alexis? Sydney, was it?" I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat, wrapping my arms around my knees.

"Yes, about that-"

"Yeah, let's talk about that. Let's talk about how you blatantly lied to my face before messing with my mind, and running off!" His voice grew louder towards the end of his tirade. He sighed, all anger now dissipating.

"Look, I'm sorry. I don't know what I've done to upset you, maybe I was a bit too full on. But, am I really that bad of a soulfinder? I mean, could you at least give me a chance? I promise that I'm not a horrible person, well at least I don't think I am… Look, I know what happened with your sister, and I know that having a Benedict as your soulfinder wouldn't have exactly been what you were looking for, but she didn't know the full story. We're not who you think we are- we're not all inherently evil." He looked at me imploringly, begging me to understand. Looking into his eyes I began to see beneath the rage, beneath his frustration and anger. I saw what was really upsetting him. Rejection. He was scared. Scared, and upset that he thought he wasn't good enough. And then I felt terrible. Awful for not wanting a soulfinder, bad for running away and upset for not being the sort of soul finder that he deserved.

"Look, Will… it's not you. It's not you at all. My soulfinder could have been anybody and my actions would have been the same. The thing is, that I don't want a soulfinder. After what happened with Alice I don't want the risk- I saw her pain and I just couldn't imagine going through it, and-" He reached for my hands, trapping them loosely within his big palms, and forced me to look at him.

"Alexis, it's not always like that. Most soulfinders find each other and are happy- happier than they've ever been, and they get to spend a lifetime together. You can't let these opportunities get away from you because you're afraid of what might happen. We have something incredible, and I know you feel it too- the energy, the crackle between us. It's electrifying. Don't ignore the other possibilities, Alexis."

"It's not just that, Will. I don't want some mystical connection to force us to be together- I want to be able to choose for myself." His eyebrows furrowed at that comment.

"We're not forced to be together- it's just fate's way of giving us a prod in the right direction. I would have fallen for you anyway." He was lying. There was no way this Adonis would have fallen for me.

It was at that very moment that Sam decided to make his appearance from the shower. Will and I both turned our heads in his direction as he walked out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. I knew this looked bad, very, very, very bad. I turned to Will to explain, but he'd turned a rather violent shade of purple, and was practically vibrating with anger. His grip on my hands had tightened, and I struggled to extricate myself from his hold.

"Will, look at me, this isn't what it looks like-"

"The Hell it isn't!" he yelled back, standing up, and knocking the coffee table backwards. "You tell me you don't want me as a soulfinder, and neglect to mention that you've already got a boyfriend!"

"He's not my boyfriend!" He doesn't listen, instead looking at Sam with malice.

"She's right man, we're not-"

"She's wearing your frickin' clothes!" I looked down as Will pointed to my outfit. Why the hell did I have to pick Jack's very obviously male hoody to wear? Could my luck get any worse right now? This was not helping my cause.

"Will, you're jumping to conclusions-"

"I don't want to hear it, Alexis!" He roared "You clearly aren't interested, and enjoy toying with people's feelings. I wish you'd just had the decency to tell me, instead of lying to my face. I've had enough now. Maybe I'm better off without you anyway. Some savants must just get lumped with a lousy soulfinder, and I happen to be in that category. Goodbye, Alexis. I won't bother you again." And with that he stormed out of the flat without looking back. It was odd. This was what I wanted to happen. I wanted my soulfinder to leave me alone, and allow me to have my old life back. But why, why did it feel so wrong. His parting words cut deep, but he was right. I was a lousy soulfinder- he should have had a much better girl than me. I could feel the tears welling up, and I wiped at them furiously. Why was I crying? This was what I wanted. I turned to Sam, who was looking rather confused by the incident, and was still just wearing a towel- his hair still dripping from the shower.

"What was that?"

"That" I say swatting at the tears that kept trickling down my face "was my soulfinder." His eyebrows shot up at that, and his mouth dropped open.

"Shit" he murmured. Yeah, shit was probably the best word to describe what had just happened.

**Please leave a review! I'm going to try and upload chapter 15 in the next couple of days, as I didn't finish this in time to upload it last night. Review, favourite and follow lovelies! :)**


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